A Relentless Pursuit
by Bethany89
Summary: Keeping a secret identity secret is normally hard enough but when you're as beautiful as Minako Aino you're bound to have all kinds of creeps and weirdos stalking your every move. Now there's a cop hot on her trail and she'll have to be quick on her feet if she's to keep her identity on the DL. Just what is a gorgeous super-heroine to do?
1. The Hunt Begins

Blue eyes, mostly hidden under a voluminous sunhat, peeked out from behind the Crown Parlor and scanned the surroundings. An elderly man was helping his wife to stand across the street while a group of school kids were playing on their phones and comparing videos they'd taken of the battle to her left. Everyone else had scattered at the first sign of trouble. Coast clear, Minako exited the alley way, slipping out her iPhone, and pulled up her game of Sailor Moon Drops that she'd put on hold upon spotting the youma. Didn't the bad guys know she had better things to do?

"Good afternoon miss."

Minako switched a ruby around with a sapphire and watched the jewel morph into a prism. Excellent. She only had few more moves, so she'd have to make this one count.

"Miss?"

She swapped a few stripes and watched them explode only to be replaced with a row of bubblegum pink hearts as they dropped next to her prism, a matching heart one swipe away. Finally! She made the match and watched with gleeful eyes as it formed another prism beside her first. After several days she was finally going to clear this cursed round!

"Miss?"

Her thumb moved to make the final swipe when a long tanned finger reached out and beat her to it, swapping an emerald with another ruby to make a simple match of three. The pieces fell down and her turns dropped to zero. A tiny Tuxedo Mask appeared asking her if she wanted to play again.

Minako blinked.

Nope, the little Tuxedo Mask was still there, mocking her, still telling her she had lost. All her hard work for nought.

Her shoulders began to shake.

…

Keisuke waited patiently for the pretty blonde to look up, hand resting on his badge so he could flash it when she finally bothered to acknowledge his presence.

"What. The. Fuck."

He smirked, unable to stop himself and asked, "Do I have your attention now?"

Raging baby blue eyes snapped in his direction and he only had a second to feel alarm before those eyes twisted in anguish and all the rage became a maelstrom of tears.

"My game!" She gasped, chest rising and falling rapidly, "Do you know how long I've been trying to beat that?" she demanded amidst sniffles, a single well manicured finger coming up to prod him in the chest. "Well do you?" Her bottom lip quivered and tears began streaming down her face. "All my efforts, wasted! All because you had to go and be a bully!"

"Wait, no," Keisuke panicked and raised his hands, "that's not what I—"

"Hey leave the lady alone!" yelled a nearby man. Keisuke turned to find the source of this interruption and noted with frustration that the man's shout had caught the attention of some passersby who, taking note of the situation, began to gather in a small semicircle around them. What was worse, a few of them had even decided to pull out their phones and begin recording.

"Don't the police have anything better to do?" yelled the man again. The man, of average height and build, turned to his buddy and made a face while gesturing in Keisuke's direction. The friend snickered while a few members of the crowd nodded their heads in agreement.

This was not going well.

"I have a legitimate reason," Keisuke began before another witness cut him off.

"And what reason could that be? Harassing an innocent girl like that! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Keisuke pinched the bridge of his nose, aware that he was losing his patience, and growled, "Enough!" The look he shot at them had them all taking a step or two back. "If you all don't cease and desist right now, I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice." He raised a silver brow questioningly, "Do you want to go to jail?"

The crowd grumbled at the threat and a few took off but the ones who remained grew quiet enough for him to work. Satisfied, Keisuke turned to address the girl again but she was no longer there. He frowned, pulled out a miniature notepad and pen and scribbled the date and location down before slipping both pen and paper back into his vest pocket. Ignoring the crowd he then moved into the alleyway he had seen her depart from.

A quick inspection turned up nothing of note except for a curious oval shaped discoloration against the Crown's exterior brick wall roughly six feet tall. He couldn't tell if the bricks had been exposed to some sort of radiation or chemical but he took a quick swab from the center and then slipped the evidence into a small plastic bag. That done, he did a quick double check of the area and, once again finding nothing, turned to leave but then paused and turned back to the odd discoloration. Ignoring protocol, Keisuke tugged a single glove off and then pressed his bare palm against the brick wall. It was warm, as if the sun's rays had been hitting it all day. Not unusual...except it was barely midmorning and the sun had only just come out within the last ten minutes or so.

Keisuke once again took out his pen and notepad, jotted the small detail and then pocketed it after he had finished. Pleased, he exited the alleyway, hot on the trail of one Aino Minako.


	2. To Catch a Minako

Minako had gotten several blocks away when she paused and pulled out the small moon shaped compact from her Sailor V days. Pursing her lips, she pretended to check her makeup while really appraising the commotion she'd left behind. The jerk cop was still there, glaring at innocent civilians, and hadn't noticed her disappearance yet. Good. It served him right for screwing up her game. Too bad he was so hot, it was such a waste of good looks to be stuck with such a nasty personality. She shrugged to herself and then, seeing no signs of the devil hunk heading her way, winked at her reflection before stashing the compact away.

"I saw that," Artemis frowned, choosing that moment to make his appearance along a brick wall, and glanced in the cop's direction while Minako merely rolled her eyes.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle."

He hopped onto her shoulder and wrapped his tail around her neck.

"I still think you should be careful. What if he discovered your identity? As leader of the Senshi it is paramount that—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Minako interrupted, giving him a quick scratch under his chin. Artemis could go on for ages if allowed. "He probably just wanted an autograph."

"If you say so," Artemis grumbled.

"I do! Now, where was I going?" she tapped her lips twice and pouted, "Oh right. School."

"Now, Minako…"

"I knoooow…"

They continued bickering down the street and Minako soon turned her mind to other things, not giving the officer another thought. Why would she? It wasn't like she'd ever see him again.

o0o

Keisuke Koizumi stared at his computer screen, looking over the search results with a growing weariness. She had no current home address and no permanent work location. Although the latter was not unusual for someone in her line of work, he had assumed she was signed to an agency. It seemed, however, that whoever managed her schedule was privately outsourced leaving him to depend on the only address he could find, the university she attended. Except there was no way to guarantee she would be there given her work schedule.

Keisuke sighed and leaned back in his chair. How was it possible for one girl to be so hard to track down?

"Koizumi!"

Keisuke's boss, Commissioner Goto, a large booming type of man with a square jaw and a thick neck, leaned on the pillar adjacent to Keisuke's desk and gave him a hard nod and an even gruffer "morning," waiting for Keisuke to answer in kind before raising an eyebrow expectantly once superficial pleasantries were out of the way.

"As you know," Keisuke began, rising to stand out of habit, while opening the two inch thick file on his desk, "footage of youma attacks are nonexistent. The cameras always encounter some sort of interference, most likely some form of radiation from the youma, starting slightly before and only ending after an attack. However," he pulled out a small pile of images, "after reviewing hours of footage I noticed this woman in the immediate vicinity on several occasions, acting suspiciously. I have reason to believe she may be the cause of the recent youma epidemic."

Commissioner Goto examined the pictures with a critical eye, thumbing through a few of the better quality ones.

"Does your mystery woman have a name?"

"Aino Minako."

"Aino Mi—" Goto's eyes widened and narrowed just as quickly, "Hold on. You're trying to tell me you think Japan's rising star is the cause of the recent youma epidemic."

Keisuke nodded, "that's right."

"She couldn't have been more than a child when the last wave hit. What makes you think she's responsible now?"

"Merely that out of over nine million people living in Tokyo, she's the only one that appears so frequently at the site of youma attacks."

"Oh is that right?" Goto growled, arms over chest. "You and I both know that the attacks tend to be centralized in the Minato ward. It's not unusual then, that someone of her background can be found nearby after an attack."

"Perhaps but I'd like your permission to carry out surveillance on Aino-san nonetheless."

"Denied," Goto tossed the pictures on top of the file. "And I don't want to hear of this nonsense again. Find me some real evidence to go off of."

Keisuke watched his boss stalk off with a neutral face, refusing to show a hint of his growing frustration, before turning back to the case file on his desk with determination. Despite what the Commissioner thought, Aino-san was a priority suspect in his book and he wasn't about to let her get away. He traded his suit jacket for his leather one and strolled out the door. It seemed he'd be getting acquainted with the university for the next few days.

o0o

Minako quickly typed the homework assignment into her phone's planner, with a reminder to do the reading while on set Friday, before turning to Hiro and returning his notes that he'd let her copy.

"Thanks Hiro!" She grinned, placing a hand on his arm affectionately and causing him to blush. "You're a real lifesaver!"

"I-It's no trouble." Hiro stammered, "You're so busy after all, it's a miracle you still manage to attend class."

"Oh well, parents, am I right?" Or in her case, Artemis. "Always nagging you to get an education!"

"R-right!" he swallowed and then rubbed the back of his neck roughly, "Hey, Aino-sa—"

"Oh my GOD!"

Minako and Hiro spun around, the former into a defensive pose, only to find their classmates all clamoring around the windows and making a giant fuss over something—or more accurately, someone—down below.

"He's sooooo dreamy!" sighed Sakura.

"Don't you mean gorgeous?" said Miki as she fanned herself off.

Narumi nudged Sakura.

"I bet he works out six hours a day!"

Takashi, the leader of the classroom's boys, just tsked.

"He's not that great. I could take him easy."

"Oh whaaatever, Takashi."

"You know I could!"

Minako relaxed her stance as she watched her classmates squabble, relieved they were just worked up over a hot guy instead of another one of the increasingly frequent youma attacks. Two in one day would have been too much. She giggled at her overreaction and moved to turn back toward Hiro.

Wait.

She paused mid-turn and twirled back towards the commotion.

Hot guy?

She hopped over a desk and then stood on another so she could see over the crowd, eyes zeroing in on the tall, dark figure by the school gate only to freeze when she recognized the familiar face. It was that wretched cop!

The bell chose that moment to ring and all the girls began rushing to gather their things so they could be the first to talk to the hottie below. Minako, however, could see that the officer had heard the bell as well and watched him walk sedately across the courtyard to the lone oak tree where he could remain somewhat out of sight.

"So he thinks he can get the jump on me, eh?"

"Aino-san?"

Minako jumped, having forgotten about Hiro, and twirled around, sliding gracefully off the desk as she did so. "Sorry Hiro! I just remembered I have a photoshoot in an hour!" She grabbed her things in a single scoop and ran for the door. "Gotta go, bye!"

She made a quick pit stop at her locker to switch out the things she needed and then booked it for the back entrance of the private campus where she knew the cop wouldn't think to look because the gates were usually locked. Sure enough, when she turned the corner, she could see the old chains looped twice around the iron bars indicating it was securely locked, normally a cause for concern, but that had never been her goal. Instead she bypassed it and ran to where the south wall met the east, jumping back and forth between the two and easily reaching the top of the stone wall, before somersaulting the rest of the way and making a perfect landing on the ground. Her hair was only slightly mussed.

Minako took a moment to smooth back her hair and adjusted the strap of her designer purse before strolling away.


	3. Suspect Number One

No one could ever accuse Keisuke Koizumi of being a cowardly man but there were moments where he wished he wasn't so diligent towards his work. He eyed the flock of girls corralling around him and thought that now was one of those times.

"So what's a handsome fella like you doing here?"

"You're not waiting for anyone I hope?"

"A bunch of us our going out for drinks, you're welcome to join us if you like."

"You're totally my type, can I get your number?"

Keisuke smiled and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his jacket. He didn't smoke, they were props he used as a cover at times, but he hoped the act would be repellent enough to discourage the girls' further interest.

It wasn't.

"What's your name?"

"What's your blood type?"

"When were you born?"

"Ladies, ladies," Keisuke laughed, lighting a cigarette with a single strike of the lighter. He turned to exhale and made a face at the taste before returning to the girls. "I'm just meeting a friend. Perhaps you know her, Aino Minako?"

"Aino!" An average sized, brunette with broad shoulders and narrow hips screeched. "What do you want with her?"

A short, sweet looking young woman to his left sighed in such a way that Keisuke guess she did this often, and answered the other woman.

"He's her friend, Narumi."

The third one, a tall but mousy looking woman, brushed a hand against his leather jacket, letting it linger in a practiced manner that left Keisuke on edge. "You don't want to hang out with her, all she ever does is hang out at the Crown playing video games or attends that karaoke bar across from the Rose Cafe. She maybe something of a celebrity but she's totally boring."

"And not even that pretty," snickered Narumi.

The short woman frowned. "How could you two say such things? She's never been anything but nice to you."

"Oh come on Miki, it's not like you don't agree."

Miki squared her shoulders back and lifted her chin. "I don't. I've often seen her in the park visiting with other women and she's constantly inviting us to events set up by one friend or the other. She's so busy, the Crown is probably where she goes to relax!"

"Video games are laaaaaame."

"We _know_ Sakura."

Keisuke took one last drag of his cigarette, having heard enough. He extinguished it on the sole of his shoe and slipped the butt back into his carton. "Well thanks for the companies ladies. Miki-san?" She looked up at him with wide brown eyes and Keisuke smiled down at the kind, young woman. "I hope Aino-san knows what a great friend you are."

Miki blushed and smiled shyly back at Keisuke, who nodded one last time before departing the group and heading towards the exit. He was already past the gate when he heard one girl cry—Narumi from the sound of it, "Wasn't he supposed to be waiting for Aino?"

Keisuke smirked, pulled out his favorite aviators and slid them on.

He had an arcade to visit.

oOo

"I told you he was trouble," Artemis griped, "I told you to be more careful but do you ever listen to me? Nooooo."

Minako ignored him. She had learned ages ago that if there was one defining trait about Artemis, it was that he loved to complain no matter what she did. If she went to school and studied, he'd complain that she wasn't stopping youmas. If she fought against evil and lost a little sleep, he'd complain that she was lazy and bad at school. You'd think he was a dog the way he hounded her and there were enough people chasing her tail as it was. Speaking of which, hopefully the copper would give up staking out her school. Otherwise she might have to attend class via video chat for the next couple weeks.

What _was_ the world coming to?

Shaking her head, Minako picked up her speed and arrived at her destination a few minutes later. The Crown looked only a little busy today, no doubt the kids who usually frequented it were taking advantage of the sunny afternoon to play in the nearby park. She pulled out her crescent mirror for the second time that day and did a quick scan of the vicinity to insure it was free of police. Coast clear, she strolled into her favorite arcade, both arms and smile wide as she greeted Motoki.

"Onii-san!" she grinned, leaning her upper body against the counter. "It's been awhile since I could drop by! How have you been?"

Motoki blinked, his cheeks flushing pink, and then smiled good-naturedly back at her.

"Minako-chan! It's great to see you!" Motoki threw his bar towel on the counter and walked around the structure to greet her properly. "I thought you were busy with a shoot in Guam?" He gave her a quick, warm hug and then stepped back to lean against the bar. "And I've been well, just working like always. How about you?"

"You should really learn to take a vacation Motoki-onii-san. Enjoy the sun a little." Minako gestured at herself and smiled when Motoki's eyes followed. "I know I did."

Motoki's blush grew a little deeper but he just shook his head in amusement.

"Not all of us our graced with good genetics. The sun may love you but I'm afraid it would fry me to a crisp."

Minako pursed her lips and tapped her finger against them playfully. "You could always go and visit Nishimura-san in London, plenty of sun coverage there."

"That…" Motoki paused, considering. "That might actually be a good idea."

"I don't know why you're so surprised, I am known for them."

"You're not actually." Motoki frowned, as if suddenly realizing who he was speaking to. "What you _are_ known for is trouble." He eyed her suspiciously. "You're not up to something are you?"

Minako stuck her tongue out at him.

"I don't know why everyone always asks me that." She turned and scanned the outdoors, her spidey senses tingling. The silver fox was nowhere to be seen but she wouldn't put it past him to show up soon. She turned back to Motoki, eyes wide and pleading, and earned an exaggerated sigh in response.

"What do you need Minako-chan?"

"I just need to slip into the control room for a little bit, Senshi business you know." Minako rolled her eyes like the subject was tiresome and Motoki played along.

"Still doing that are you?"

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid." She grinned and dropped the act. "Hey do you mind keeping a lookout for a big, hot silver haired fellow? He's kind of been following me all day."

"What?" Motoki jumped to his feet. "You mean someone's stalking you?" He looked torn between rushing out and searching for the creep or staying there and comforting her. Minako placed a hand on his arm, making the decision for him.

"I wish," Minako sighed. "No, he's just a cop, sadly. They use to lay out traps for me back in my Sailor V days but haven't bothered me in awhile."

Motoki nodded and then, wide-eyed, leaned in close and whispered, "Is he crooked?" making Minako giggle.

"No!" she snorted, shoving him away. "They just get tired of me upstaging them." She smiled and looked out the window again. Still no sign. It should be a good thing...but it was making her suspicious. "Anyways, I'll be down in the control room. You remember who to look for?"

Motoki nodded, throwing his bar towel over one shoulder and shooing her away. "Tall, silver and handsome. I got it."

Minako grinned.

"Thanks Onii-san! You're the best!"

oOo

Keisuke zoomed in and focused the image, snapping a series of pictures when he was pleased with the settings. He had found Aino-san at the arcade, just like her classmates had said he would, and now he was watching her flirt obnoxiously with the local shopkeeper. Something about the sight annoyed him but if he had to say why, the only reason he could come up with was that he had better things to do with his time then watch a couple make goo goo eyes at each other. That and the man was a little too old for her.

A text came through on his phone, interrupting his camera function, and Keisuke frowned when he saw who it was. Commissioner Goto had been apparently asking for him, no doubt planning to stick him on a different case after this morning's briefing fiasco. He shot off a quick text to his superintendent, letting him know that he was out digging for leads and turned back to his number one suspect.

Who had disappeared.

He cursed, both her and his superior's poor timing, and did a quick scan of the street, only calming down when he didn't see her long golden hair anywhere. She must still be inside the arcade. Considering she was no longer flirting with the shopkeeper, she was most likely deeper inside the building than he could see from his current location. Based off what he'd been told, she'd probably be awhile.

Keisuke shot off another text to his superintendent informing him he'd be off the grid for a few hours and then struggled to find a comfier position. Fire escape staircases always made great stakeout locations, no one ever thought to look up, but they weren't exactly designed for stretching out on. He sighed, eventually giving up on comfort, and focused his lens back on the Crown's windows and front entrance.

At least he no longer had to watch their flirting and, given a little more time—and evidence, he definitely needed evidence, Goto would murder him otherwise—he'd make sure Aino wouldn't have the chance to flirt with anyone else for a long time to come.

* * *

AN:  
I don't plan to do many author notes on this story. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the delay. This story was always meant to have short chapters and be a project I could update with relative frequency. Sadly, life gets in the way and aside from normal delays I had some more serious ones that I'm still dealing with unfortunately, but no longer effects my ability to write. With that said, I hope you all liked the chapter update! (Also I couldn't stop myself with that last line. It has me smirking/giggling every time I look at it.)

Until next time!

Love B


	4. Cold Cases and Hot Leads

Name: Koizumi, Keisuke

Birthdate: 19XX-09-23

Age: 27

Current Employer: TCPD

Educa—

Minako skimmed the profile page, growing bored when she didn't see anything of use. A quick search of the Tokyo City Police Department's open cases didn't show any results either. The only thing that stood out was a long standing open case to determine the source of the youma infestation. It seems someone in the department was convinced these were gross animal mutations due to some kind of unknown radiation but the case had been opened and had remained unsolved since her initial Sailor V days.

Man, did she wish Ami were here. Ami was so much better at these kind of things. Sadly, Ami was in Germany for a semester filling her brilliant brain with all kinds of facts and numbers. Minako also doubted her friend would be happy to have her study time interrupted for anything less than Senshi business. A lone cop—or even several—was hardly anything to bother her about, not when Minako had proven she could handle them at thirteen.

"That's it!"

Minako snapped her fingers and then pressed several buttons on the keypay. The screen shifted, going black as a dial tone rang out over the speakers and then flared to life as a beautiful, dark haired woman sitting behind a desk covered in papers appeared on the monitors with a smile wide on her face.

"Minako-chan!"

Minako grinned and flashed her trademark V.

"Guilty as charged!"

"It's been too long!" The woman leaned back in her seat and propped her Louis Vuittons on her desk corner. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh you know," Minako shrugged, "Catching bad guys, breaking hearts, the usual."

"You know, you could still come work for me and actually get paid for what you do."

"Natsuna-onee-san," Minako gasped, pressing her hand to her heart, "Can you imagine if it was discovered that Japan's number one star was working a second job? They'd question if my life was really as fabulous as it is, you know!"

Natsuna flashed a predatory smirk, dropping her feet to the floor and leaning forward. "Can you imagine what they would say if they knew Japan's sweetheart was the fabled Sailor V? You'd be the symbol of Japan! More famous than the Emperor!"

Minako scoffed and gave her friend a pointed look. "Sailor V hasn't been seen in years. There are new heroines now."

"Yes, and speculation on the web is that the two may be related." Minako raised a brow and Natsuna nodded in response. "Yes, some of the less frequented forums tend to focus on Sailor Venus in particular in that regard."

"And the precincts?"

"Precincts?" Natsuna frowned, "Why would the precincts be gossiping about your identities?"

"Why would a detective be casing out my school?"

"What?!" Natsuna jumped to her feet and ran off screen.

"Wakagi! My office! NOW!"

Natsuna reappeared.

"Minako-chan, I'll find out what I can and call you back." She pursed her lips, debating, then added, "I'm afraid it might take awhile. Since taking office, I'm not as in the loop with my subordinates as I was in my previous position, but I promise I will get them to back off. You have my word."

"Thanks onee-san. I owe you one."

The screen went black and Minako settled in to wait.

oOo

She was still there.

Two hours had come and gone and his suspect was still off playing arcade games. At least he hoped so. She had managed to sneak past him back at the school, he wouldn't put it past her to take an alternate way out of the arcade.

Keisuke drummed his fingers as he debated what to do. He could leave his post and get close enough for a visual, potentially risking detection, or he could stay where he was and wait, potentially allowing her trail to grow colder because she had slipped past him once again. He checked the time on his phone and frowned.

A chime reached his ears, one he recognized as the Crown's, and he snapped his gaze up in time to see Aino waving goodbye to the shopkeeper.

"Remember what I said about London!" Aino called over her shoulder. She dropped her hand as the door swung shut and glanced around the street for a moment.

Was she looking for him? It wasn't unheard of for a suspect to spot a tail and grow paranoid as time went by. However unlike previous suspects, Aino seemed unperturbed and in no hurry, standing there, idle, as she tapped her lips thoughtfully. He watched her glance down and say something to the cat curled around her feet. Odd, it appeared tame, if its behavior was any indicator, but he hadn't noticed the feline previously. Had it been with her earlier? And if the cat travelled with Aino often enough to walk unleashed, why hadn't he seen it before?

Aino finally settled on a destination and turned north and Keisuke rushed to follow, slipping past the railing bars and dropping to the pavement below. He did his best to follow unobserved but it was a task easier said than done. His suspect was distracted easily by displays in storefronts or carts selling wares along the street, and more than once he needed to duck or dive to prevent being spotted. After one such incident he had lost her altogether and it was only a lucky guess—as well as her golden hair sparkling amongst a sea of blacks and browns—that had put him on the chase once more. He was grateful she took the time to dye it but then remembered his own silver locks and decided he shouldn't assume.

Besides being easily distracted, she was also constantly talking. He wasn't sure if she had a bluetooth or if she was just talking at her cat, although she looked its way often enough that Keisuke had begun to accurately predict when to slip out of sight. The way the cat moved though...Keisuke could have sworn it was responding, and the longer he spent staring at it, the more he felt like he'd seen it before although he hadn't the slightest idea where.

Cats aside, he was more than a little relieved when residential buildings began to appear and Aino's pace began to slow. Maybe she lived with a friend and that was why he couldn't find her place of residence? Keisuke crossed the street, hoping to keep his distance and watched as his target sprinted up a steep set of steps leading to a local shrine without pausing her stride. He raised a brow, a little impressed despite himself, and then took out his notebook and noted the Shrine's name and location. Hikawa...why did that sound familiar?

Keisuke took out his phone and did a quick search, both eyebrows shooting up when he saw the results. He let out a low whistle and marked several articles and then opened his contacts. He found the name he was looking for and pressed the dial button.

"Hey, it's Koizumi." Keisuke paused and listened, "Yes, that one." He rolled his eyes as the other person said something else and glanced at the shrine steps. No blonde in sight. "I was wondering if we could meet," he glanced down at his watch. "Perhaps in an hour?" He turned away from the steps and started walking towards a nearby cafe.

"I want you to tell me what you know about the Hikawa Shrine."

oOo

"Reeeeeeeei!"

Minako snickered to herself as she watched her friend stiffen before turning around to greet her.

"Go home."

"Rei!" Minako gasped, skidding to a halt. "Is that anyway to treat a friend who came all this way to see you?"

The priestess ignored her and resumed sweeping while Minako huffed as dramatically as she could behind her. The thanks she got!

"Well fine," she crossed her arms and turned to leave, "I _was_ going to ask if you needed help around here for the next few days but I can see where I'm not wanted."

"Jet setting around the world not enough to keep you busy these days?"

"Hardly," Artemis scoffed, appearing along the top of the stone wall. He jumped down from his perch to join them. "She's just trying to get in the law enforcement's good graces."

Rei nodded to Artemis in greeting and then turned her beautiful no-nonsense gaze to stare down Minako.

"Okay, I miiiiight have hoped hanging around here for a few days would get him off my case." Minako plucked Rei's broom from her hands and turned up the kitten eyes. "Please Rei? Aren't you always saying you could use the help?"

Rei rolled her eyes and snatched her broom back. "You cause more destruction than you help half the time." She crossed her arms and raised an expectant brow. "Why's he following you anyway?"

Minako shrugged, glancing around the courtyard to insure no one else was listening. She would have bet money that someone had been following her earlier but it seemed that was no longer the case.

"My source says some precinct got a bee up their bonnets and have reopened old youma case files in hopes of catching the perp of the more recent youma influx."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I'm not quite sure." Minako rubbed her temples. Talking about cops always gave her such a headache! "While it makes sense that we'd cross their eye if youma are involved, I've never had police chase after my civilian identity before."

Rei looked at her sharply.

"You don't think they've learned who you are do you?"

Minako pursed her lips and then waved the idea away. "Nah. Natsuna would have said something. The closest anyone's gotten is guessing V and Venus are the same person and that doesn't take Ami's brains to figure out."

"A mystery in itself considering all that blonde hair you have," Rei smirked. She shook her head and handed Minako the broom. "Fine, you can help but no handling the temple artifacts. Last time you nearly broke a three hundred year old vase."

"Aye aye, capitaine!" Minako snapped to attention and gave a sharp salute but Rei was too busy walking away to appreciate it.

"Hey!" She dropped formation and hurried to catch up to her. "Hey wait!"

"Reeeeeeeei!"


	5. Sources and Tells

Keisuke thanked the tall brunette as she set a mug, a pitcher of coffee and a small bottle of cream down in front of waitress smiled and nodded, walking away as Keisuke tore open two packets of sugar and carefully emptied their contents into his mug. He was just adding the cream when the bell chimed and a figure slipped into the seat opposite of him.

The man was roughly three or four years his junior, with a slighter build and a dimpled smile, that no doubt had charmed scores of women, young and old alike. His ruffled blond curls and casual clothes aided the illusion of a lovable rogue but experience had shown Keisuke that those were all just tools of the trade for the reporter in front of him.

Keisuke nodded in greeting and finished stirring his coffee while his associate took a moment to order, a small black tea with a slice of that delicious looking strawberry shortcake in the display case. Once the man had finished cozying up to the staff he turned and leaned back in his seat, linking his hands behind his head.

"It's been a while."

Keisuke took a sip of his coffee and nodded, setting the mug back on the table.

"I'm pleased I haven't had cause to arrest you again."

His associate rolled his eyes, dropping his hands to lean against the table. "It was a protest! The people have a right to complain."

"They don't have the right to destroy property," Keisuke countered.

"I admit a few got a little out of hand." The other man shrugged and then leaned in closer, eyebrow raised curiously. "Let's get down to business shall we? Why did you call me?"

"You're Omura Jun, aren't you?" Keisuke took another sip of his coffee. " I should think it would be obvious."

The waitress from before appeared, bringing Jun his order, and then wandered off to a table two booths away to remove the dishes left behind. Jun glanced appreciatively at the woman's legs before returning his focus to Keisuke.

"You can get dirt on the Hikawa Shrine from anywhere." Jun argued, taking a bite of his cake and then moaning when it hit his taste buds. "Oh god this is good. Do you want some?" Keisuke shook his head no and Jun shrugged, taking another bite for himself. "Your loss. Look, I've only written a few articles on the place in question. Aside from the missing kids case at the nearby intersection, I hardly know what I have that would interest you. I didn't think the supernatural was in your jurisdiction and that's all I got, at least in relation to the shrine."

"Supernatural is just a label for things we've yet to understand." Keisuke stated dismissively. He pulled out a file from his briefcase—he'd swung by the office just long enough to retrieve it—and slid it across the table. "These reports indicate unusual radiation levels on the carcasses found at youma reported scenes. It's been suggested that these so called youma are part of an experiment gone wrong."

Jun skimmed over the reports and whistled. "Alright I'll bite." He closed the file and pushed it back over to Keisuke. "Say your conjecture is correct, why are these creatures showing up in random places? Why haven't they exposed the lab they originated from? Are you saying they were released intentionally?"

Keisuke nodded, returning the file to his briefcase.

"We think these so called experiments are being done by a terrorist organization. One deeply buried if the time length of so called youma related incidences are any indicator."

"And you think the shrine is, what, their base?"

"I don't know what to think," Keisuke admitted, finishing the last of his coffee, "I was following a suspect that led me there. Which is why I want to know what you know."

"Alright, but I don't think the shrine's what you're looking for," Jun took another bite of his cake, savoring it for a moment, and then washed it down with his tea. He then pulled out his wallet, extracted a card and handed it over to Keisuke. "A guy I know has been recording electrical surges as a side hobby after some reason or other, and he recently discovered a pattern in relation to youma sightings. I think he'll be your best bet if you want to find the lab creating these things."

Keisuke studied the card of one Ueda Satoru and then pulled out his own wallet to place if for safekeeping. "Thanks. I'll look into it but I'm still interested in the shrine."

"Oh? I suppose there could be something there." Jun leaned back and stretched his neck from side to side, "I've only met the head priest but I've learned his granddaughter is also the daughter of a famous politician."

"Oh?" Keisuke raised a brow, "Which one?"

"Hino Takashi."

Keisuke nodded, taking the information in. It wouldn't be unheard of for a government official to be affiliated with a terrorist organization. Particularly one with a history of promoting military spending like Senator Hino. He'd have to look into it.

"How old's the daughter?"

"She'd have to be around twenty now, I suppose. Rumor has it she's quite the beauty but she never attends any of her father's kiss ass events so no one knows much."

"Twenty…" Keisuke murmured. If that was true, then it was possible she was friends with his suspect. They were the same age and the shrine was too out of the way for Aino's visit to be merely a spiritual one.

"What school did she attend?"

Jun puffed out his cheeks and then blew out what little air he had as he thought. "A catholic one, if I remember correctly. Although for the life of me I can't remember the name. I just remember thinking it was unusual for a priestess to do so."

Aino hadn't met her at school then. Interesting. He'd have to do a little more digging before he continued this trail further.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Jun asked, finishing his cake. "I can't vouch for the accuracy of the accounts but there have been quite of few youma reported incidences at the shrine. It very well could be the lab that you're looking for or just a target seeing as Hino's daughter resides there."

"No, you've given me plenty to think on, thanks. I'll call if I have any follow up questions." He made a display of tapping his phone. "In the meantime, I'll make sure to get in touch with your friend."

Jun stood and tossed some money onto the table to cover his tab.

"Just be warned, the guy can be a bit of an asshole at times. Not worth arresting over though."

Keisuke rolled his eyes and placed several bills on the table."I'll try to keep that in mind."

He stood as the waitress gathered her things from the table she'd been working on and moved to put them away in the backroom. Keisuke raised a brow curiously but reasoned she could only carry so much. She'd probably be back to clear their table in a minute. He gestured for Jun to go first and then exited the premises, intent on learning more about the connection between Aino Minako and the Hinos.

oOo

"So there I was, with only an itsy bitsy— _teeny weeny_ Rei, _teeny weeny—_ yellow polka dot bikini and—"

A piano melody interrupted Minako's story and Rei practically ran to retrieve her phone from the other room...or at least, Rei's version of running which was more like a commando walk combined with a face that screamed bloody murder. Normally Minako would assume such actions meant a man was involved but this was _Rei_. She ran for no man.

' _Or woman,'_ Minako added to herself.

For Rei to do so would imply she was either anxious or flustered and actually, trying to picture Rei flustered over anything was difficult. Furious, sure, but flustered? What would that even be like?

"WHAT?"

Minako's head snapped in the direction Rei had disappeared as the priestess came stumbling out of her room, cheeks red and eyes wide, holding a phone to her ear.

"Rei? Wha—"

Rei held a finger up, still listening to someone on the other end. "Hold on Makoto, I'm putting you on speaker. Minako's here with me and I think she needs to hear this."

Rei pulled the phone away, laying it on the low table by Minako, and pressed the speaker button.

"Okay Makoto, go ahead. Tell Minako what you told me."

"Alright, well I was working today and you know Kenji has been a no show lately and Sachiko had to take her grandmother to the hospital, so I was running solo this afternoon."

"You should have told me!" Minako chided, "I could have helped out."

Rei scoffed and Minako shot her a glare.

"Riiiight, well anyways, it was okay because it wasn't that busy. The only customers I had was a tall man who'd gone grey before his time, because he didn't look old enough to be that silver, and some guy that actually looked a lot like Kaidou now that I think of it, except younger and more smiley."

At the mention of the first man, Minako shared a look with Artemis who had awoken from his nap at the sound of Rei's shout. She didn't have time to figure out how everything was connected though, because Makoto had barely paused in her story.

"So because of the short staff, I was forced to clean the tables down that I'd been too busy to take care of earlier this evening and I overheard the men talking about youma and terrorists, which led to Rei's shrine and her and her father and how they could all be related and now the silver haired man's is going to call someone and I never caught a name but I knew I needed to warn you Rei, I'm sorry I don't have more information but oh! I actually did catch the blonde's name, Omura Jun, I think...or was that Ofuda…"

"Good work Mako-chan." Minako pinched the bridge of her nose. Her headache from earlier was definitely growing. "I'm afraid Rei was right when she said I should hear this, considering its all my fault."

"So they are the same men who were following you." Rei sighed, taking a seat now that she had calmed down.

The phone began to crackle and little sparks could be seen around it as Makoto repeated Rei's words only more threateningly.

"They were following you?"

"Just the grandpa," Minako corrected hastily. She crossed her arms and leaned away from the sparks that had only lessened somewhat. "He's a detective for the TCPD. I have no idea who the blondie is but it's safe to say he's a source of some kind if they're meeting at a cafe to do business."

"So why's he's following you?"

Minako pursed her lips. She had been trying to answer that question all day. And now they would be looking into Rei all because she had led them here.

Wait…

"What was that you said about terrorists Makoto, dear?"

"They were saying something like youmas were experiments gone wrong and implanted throughout the city by terrorists and then they mentioned the shrine and Rei's father but I'm not sure how they're related."

Minako sighed. Well that...wasn't entirely inaccurate.

"I think they think we're the terrorists."

"What! But that's crazy!"

"We do tend to be seen frequently at the scene of the crimes," Rei reasoned. "Someone was bound to notice eventually."

"And they probably noticed me because of all the blonde hair," Minako joked, referencing her and Rei's earlier conversation.

"At least it's you and not Usagi," came Makoto's voice over the still crackling speaker phone.

Minako groaned, having forgotten about Usagi. That explained everything! The two of them were practically identical, meaning twice the amount of exposure for blonde hair and blue eyes. Usagi, however, didn't have her face plastered all over billboards and TVs. Minako was the obvious suspect.

"Small blessings I suppose. I guess that just means I need to lay low for awhile and stay away from you girls. Sorry Rei."

The priestess waved her apology off. "None of us could have predicted some idiot lumping us together with terrorists. I'm sure it doesn't help my father's a politician." She tapped her nail against the table twice and sighed. "You probably shouldn't transform for awhile either. It would only make things worse if they caught you near another youma sighting."

"What about you Rei?" Makoto asked.

"She's right," Artemis added, coming close enough for Minako to reach out a stroke his fur. "They'll be watching you too now."

Rei pursed her lips as Minako gathered her things and stood.

"I'll give the Outers a call and have them help out until things bowl over." She gave Rei a quick hug goodbye and headed for the door.

"Although they're not going to be happy about this."


	6. Camouflage

"Are you trying to get caught?" Artemis hissed from the direction of her feet. She rolled her eyes and batted him away.

"I won't get caught as long as an annoying furball learns to keep quiet!" Minako whispered, trying to sound as threatening as she could without risking detection. She turned her attention back towards the two-story apartment building, adjusting the branches and twigs to give her a clearer view. "Now where are you Mr. Fox?"

"You are going to get caught, even without my help," Artemis huffed, "And what exactly are you wearing?"

Startled, Minako pulled away from the bushes and looked down at her clothes. Black leggings, trainers, a thin, grey—but super cute—sweatshirt and a matching beanie. "What's wrong with my outfit? I look like I'm going for a run. It's camouflage!"

Artemis squinted. "I didn't even know you owned so much grey."

Minako huffed and shoved him away. She didn't have time to get in an argument with him right now. Any minute she was sure tall, dumb and sexy would walk out the door and then it would be her turn to play detective.

"So what's your plan then?" Artemis asked her and then gasped when she didn't answer. "Please tell me you have a—"

Minako blindly reached for him and clamped his mouth shut.

"Not now!" she shushed him. Detective Koizumi had finally stepped out, decked out in his own running gear, and now was not the time for one of Artemis' lectures!

The detective took off down the street and she was relieved when she saw him head into the local park grounds. Getting caught was not an option but she had a better chance of being discreet with numerous trees and bushes around than she would if he had chosen to run around the block.

She waved goodbye to Artemis and took off after the detective at a moderate pace, keeping roughly a hundred feet between them. The park itself was pretty. The birds could be heard chirping away merrily and any noise from the outside world was kept to a minimum in thanks to the abundance of trees. It was...nice...but she also wished she could use her ipod. Running was just so boring without some good beats to listen to!

Keisuke's silver haired disappeared around a corner but Minako maintained her pace. She'd catch up to him eventually.

She glanced at her watch and noted that seven minutes had passed, making it 6:12. If the detective ran for thirty minutes, he'd get home around 6:40 which would give him enough time to shower and change before heading into work for an eight to six shift, that is, if he bothered going in at all. The detective could very well decided to pick up where he left off the other day, stalking innocent school girls.

 _'Not that he'd have any luck,'_ She smirked.

Minako rounded a bend and spied silver in the distance, the detective's short locks reflecting the sun that managed to break through the trees shady barrier. It was a shame he kept it short, it would look really good long and if he wore a man bun? Minako blushed, liking the image more than she would ever admit to.

' _He's the enemy!_ ' Minako reminded herself. He was the enemy and she was on a mission. She needed to focus.

The detective disappeared again and soon after Minako came to a fork in the trail. She pursed her lips and chose the darker path. If he somehow ended up behind her, maybe the shade could help camouflage her bright golden hair. She crossed her fingers for luck and continued down the path a few minutes before coming down another split, this one with three options because of _course_ it did. Minako frowned and took the darkest of the options again. Maybe she should have waited for him to return from his run. At this rate he would finish before her and she would never know.

Minako sighed and started to pick up her speed when she noticed two figures struggling a little way off the path.

"What the…"

She skidded to a halt and then tiptoed closer when a flash of silver—this one belonging to a six inch blade—appeared in the hands of one of the figures.

"Hey!"

Minako scooped up a nearby rock and beamed it at the assailant. "Don't you know playing with knives is dangerous!"

The rock struck its target with perfect precision, sending the attacker backwards with its force and causing him to bleed heavily along his temple. The victim—a woman and fellow runner if her clothes were any indication—shoved him off with as much force as she could and then scrambled over to Minako.

"Thanks," she gasped but then shrieked when her attacker groaned and rolled over, eyeing them both.

"I was going to settle for the other one," he grunted, wiping the blood from his face with his arm, "But you'll do much nicer."

He staggered to his feet and raised the blade out in front of him, taking a few threatening swings. Minako merely rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Look, I'd love to stick around and play with you but I've got things to do today."

"The only thing you'll be doing," growled the attacker, "is pleasuring me!"

He slashed through the air, aiming for her side but Minako was faster and knocked the knife from his hand with a single kick. She then twirled around—losing her beanie in the process—and landed another blow to his face, sending him flying into the closest tree.

She dusted herself off and then scooped up her hat.

"Why is it that men never listen?"

"I don't imagine he'll be able to do much listening now," answered a rich, deep baritone behind her.

Minako stiffened and spun around, coming face to chest with the detective.

Crap!

She took a step back, looked up and did her best to look shocked before pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You're the cop who ruined my game!"

"Remember me do you?" Detective Koizumi smirked, crossing his arms and inadvertently flexing deliciously toned muscles. _Focus Minako! Focus!_ He nodded towards the—now—unconscious man. "That was some kick. Mine telling me what happened?"

Minako pouted, pretending to still be put out, and turned to the other woman who was trembling a few feet away.

"Hey," she whispered, reaching a hand out slowly to touch the woman's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

The woman nodded and smiled at them gratefully.

"Shaken but I'll be alright, thanks to you."

"Any time! Would you like an escort home?"

The woman looked prepared to argue but then must have thought better of it because her features relaxed and she nodded instead.

"Yes, please."

"Sure thing! Just give me one sec." Minako spun back to the detective only to be rendered mute at the glistening, bronzed and very naked chest before her. Dumbfounded, Minako stared as the detective carefully wrapped his shirt around his hand and then picked up the weapon, making sure the handle avoided the sweatier parts.

"You know," the detective said as he slowly turned around to face her, "I'm going to need a witness statement." He smiled and something about the image combined with the glint in his eye felt vaguely familiar to her. "Perhaps you'd be willing to drop by the Kojimachi station later today?"

Minako pursed her lips and nodded, "I'll see what I can do. I am quite busy after all."

"Yes I heard," Detective Koizumi's lips twitched and Minako almost believed he wanted to laugh. He then turned and addressed the other woman, "Ma'am, I'd like to hear your testimony later today as well, if you're up for it."

"Of course, officer. Kojimachi station was it?"

"Yes, that's right. Ask for Detective Koizumi."

"Alright. Thank you for all of your help."

"Anytime, although I did little to help in this case."

"Oh Detective Koizumi," Minako smiled, pressing one delicate hand against his bare bicep, "You're much too humble." She winked and then linked arms with the other woman, guiding her back onto the path to return her home.

"Until next time!" she called over her shoulder.

oOo

Keisuke watched Aino walk away knowing with almost a hundred percent certainty that he would not be seeing her again that day.

He sighed and glanced at the man lying unconscious on the ground, blood splattered all over his clothes. Aino had handled him a little too well in Keisuke's opinion. Almost as if she had experience fighting.

Keisuke looked back at the spot where Aino had disappeared wondering what exactly she'd been doing in his neighborhood.

He'd never seen her in the area before but if she'd been following him, she wouldn't have arrived at the scene of the altercation first. It could have been a set up, a trick to make her look innocent and of high moral standing...but considering there was no guarantee that he would have ever seen the altercation, he doubted that was the case. After all, it had only been by chance that he had decided to cut his run short and doubled back close enough to hear something going on in the first place.

Keisuke frowned and rubbed the sweat from his eyes with his free hand. He should have asked one of the women to call for backup when they reached a phone. Oh well. Too late now.

He studied the weapon and then reached up and tucked it high up in a tree. After a quick check to make sure it was securely hidden, he walked over to the unconscious man and looped his arms around the attacker's middle.

"Time to go."

…

Keisuke dropped onto his couch feeling the abuse of his morning's haul all over his body. It had taken him almost an hour to drag the attacker's dead weight to the entrance of the park. Thankfully by that time a few junior officers had shown up and taken the perp into custody while he showed a more senior officer where he'd hidden the weapon. By the time nine o'clock hit, he'd barely managed to slip in a quick shower before arriving at his precinct, where Goto had gotten on his case after learning Aino had been involved in the altercation.

He'd barely managed to convince the Commissioner of his innocence on that one.

Groaning, Keisuke popped open his briefcase and grabbed his notes. If he had to back off Aino for awhile then he'd make use of the spare time by following up some other leads. He thumbed through the pages and noted the name Omura had mentioned, Ueda Satoru. Omura had said he'd figured out a pattern of some kind...it would be worth looking into.

He pulled out his cell and dialed the number printed just below Ueda's name, waiting patiently as it rang and then abruptly cut off as a light tenor voice answered the other end.

"Who's this?"

Keisuke raised a brow.

"Ueda-san?"

"Yes, yes." Ueda tsked, "Now who are you?"

"Ueda-san, I'm Detective Koizumi." He leaned back and stretched while still staring at his notes. "An associate of yours informed me that you've been researching patterns of the so-called youma epi—"

"It's not a 'so-called' anything detective," the other man scoffed, "I've seen one of those things in person. Radiation effects do not look like that."

Keisuke rubbed the ache in his temple.

"Yes, well...in any case, I was wondering if I could meet with you?"

There was a silence that stretched over the phone that Keisuke knew meant Ueda was deliberating.

"Very well detective. I'm free tomorrow around ten. I assume you have my work address?"

Keisuke nodded despite the fact Ueda couldn't see him.

"Yes, I'll see you then."

He hung up and tossed his phone onto the couch and then looked back at his notes, a photograph of Aino paperclipped to some other files resting on top. She really had quite a kick. She had rendered a grown man unconscious for several hours just with one blow. He could use someone like that on his squad. Half the time he was partnered with an idiot who couldn't land a punch if their life depended on it.

He sighed, closing the folder, and tossed it on his couch as well.

It was too bad she was probably a terrorist.


	7. Associates

Keisuke arrived in the Azabu-juban district at nine twenty five in the morning with a cramp in his back and an irritable mood weighing him down. He'd only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before after a late night alert went out, calling all hands available to a nearby murder investigation. Luckily Usui had arrived on the scene first, thus making him lead of the investigation and granting Keisuke leeway to return home and try to salvage what sleep he could before his meeting with Ueda later that morning.

He slipped into a nearby cafe to grab a bagel and some coffee and then headed to the nearby bank to withdraw some cash. He was running low on his bribe money and he wanted to restock before seeing Ueda. Not that he thought it would be necessary...it was just better to err on the safe side.

Finishing the last of his bagel, he walked up to a wooden kiosk, grabbed a withdrawal slip and began filling out the form when he noticed a flash of gold in his peripheral. It was Aino entering the establishment, blond hair and sandaled wedges moving confidently across the linoleum floor while carrying a large, navy deposit bag. He dropped his pen in his surprise and cursed when he banged his head on the kiosk when he bent to pick it up.

It seemed today just wouldn't be his day.

"Everybody listen up! This here's a robbery!"

Keisuke—still crouched from his efforts to retrieve the pen— slowly closed his eyes and sighed. Of course the bank was being robbed.

After allowing himself that small display of frustration, he adjusted his crouch to kneel and peeked around the kiosk to better assess the situation. There were five masked men that he could see: two confronting the tellers, two pointing what looked to be AR-15s at roughly a dozen civilians and one blocking the exit. He imagined there was at least one getaway driver nearby but then also figured they could have planned to use the civilians as a bargaining tool. Either way he was outnumbered and outgunned.

He shot off a quick text with these observations, as well as the bank's address, to his superior and moved a few inches back to scrutinize his surroundings and attempt to form a plan.

"Alright, everybody put your hands out in front of ya and drop your valuables and cash in the bag as my friend here passes by and no one will get hurt."

From his position, Keisuke could see the robbers' reflection off the glass office walls and took the moment they were distracted to slip around to the side of the bank's main front counter. His new vantage point allowed him to directly see the thug collecting the civilians valuables with quick efficiency.

Then he stopped in front of Aino.

"Give me the bag blondie. I won't ask twice."

Aino clutched the deposit bag tighter to her chest.

"Did you know that twenty percent of all startups fail within the first year?" she rattled off randomly. Keisuke would have assumed she was nervous if he hadn't seen her take down that rapist the day before.

It seemed to stall the robber however, who stared at her and then looked to his partner who motioned for him to hurry up.

"Alright, er…" The robber frowned and lifted his bag. "That's interesting, miss. Now give me the money!"

Aino appeared not to have heard him though, instead continuing her previous line of conversation with added hand gestures to emphasize her point. "And did you know that that number is tripled when that startup is a new and unknown restaurant? That's a sixty percent failure rate! It's a travesty!" Her hand flew out knocking the bag of stolen goods from the robber's hand to the floor. "Oops! Sorry about that, I'm always knocking over or tripping over something it seems."

The robber hastily snatched up the bag but he'd drawn the attention from his friends, including the ones who'd been harrassing the tellers.

"What are you doing Taka? Take her money already," ordered one of the robbers closest to Keisuke.

Taka reached for the deposit bag but Aino stepped back, managing to avoid him.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You wouldn't want my friend to become just another failed statistic now would you?"

"Lady I don't care what happens to your friend. Just give me the money!"

Aino sidestepped Taka again, earning Taka several jibes from the other robbers. The two crooks harassing the tellers joined the ones harassing the customers and formed a semicircle around Aino. Keisuke used their distraction to slowly rise to a standing position.

"We don't have time for this," the quasi-leader of the group complained. He grabbed Aino's arm and yanked the bag from her fingers before shoving her to the floor and causing her to cry out. Keisuke's hands clenched into fists as he inched closer.

"Hey doesn't she look like that model on all the billboards lately?" asked another.

"She is! We could make a fortune off her!" replied the fourth man, "Imagine what the magazines would pay for her nudes!"

Keisuke tapped the excited robber's shoulder, prompting him to turn around, and then slugged him in the face. The robber's gun flew out of his hands and skidded across the floor while Taka seemingly lost his feet and fell to the ground next to him. Keisuke chalked it up to Aino but didn't waste time to check having already turned to block a bat spiked with nails flying at his head. He managed to catch the bat just beyond the spikes and swung his body towards his assailant's arms before sending an elbow to the other man's face while simultaneously wrenching the weapon free. He then turned to the leader, who was already on the floor with Aino's wedge sandal squishing his face into the linoleum.

Keisuke relaxed his stance, "nice wo—"

"NOBODY MOVE!"

Shit. He had forgotten about the one at the door.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS! I SAID DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

Keisuke slowly lowered his weapon to the floor and then stood back up, hands raised high as he turned to face the last robber. Aino likewise had turned around but her hands remained low by her side. The robber guard pointed his weapon at a middle age woman but never took his eyes off them.

"Drop your weapons or this bitch here gets it!"

What on earth was he talking about? Hadn't they done just that? Keisuke frowned and tried to discreetly check Aino's hands in the glass reflections but couldn't see anything past all her blonde hair.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Keisuke snapped his gaze back to the robber in time to see the gun, surrounded by a golden glow, bend and twist unnaturally until the barrel pointed at its wielder. The robber screamed and hurled the weapon away from him, an action which could be clearly seen beyond the bank's doors because the reinforcements he had called in had finally arrived and wasted no time bursting through the door and tackling the lone robber while the others corralled around the four still unconscious on the floor.

A man—who was clearly in charge given the way the officers responded to him—walked through the doors and Keisuke recognized him as the Commissioner General's second-in-command, a hardworking officer who'd been dedicated to his job for fifteen years named Toshio Wakagi. Wakagi looked around, studying the mess, and then walked up to Keisuke and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good work, Detective Koizumi correct? I recognize you from the picture you have on file. Your name has been coming up quite a bit back at HQ. You do good work, although..." Wakagi glanced at the men being hauled away. " In this situation, I'd normally write you up for poor judgement. Five against one is too risky but seeing how things worked out I'm going to let it slide."

Keisuke shook his head in denial, "I didn't do it on my own." He pointed towards Aino. "She helped."

Wakagi glanced in Aino's direction and immediately scowled before attempting to regain his composure. However he wasn't quite successful because his face was still twisted in a grimace when he turned back to Keisuke. "Either way Commissioner General Sakurada is going to want to play this up for publicity. Our recruitment numbers have been down and this is just the sort of thing to motivate the faithful citizens of Japan to sign up. Besides, Aino-san's not going to want the attention. Her fans might not like someone capable of violence."

"It was self-defense," Keisuke argued, suspicious of how Wakagi knew Aino but not about to let him besmirch her actions either. A lot of people could have been hurt if not for her. "Besides, even if she agrees, what happens when the press get the video feed? They'll have a field day if they think the police are hiding something."

Wakagi sighed and Keisuke got the impression the other man knew something he didn't.

"I don't think that'll be a problem but just so you're satisfied I didn't tamper with the feed, go ahead and get a copy for yourself first. I'll go and talk to Aino-san." Wakagi gave a short nod goodbye and then walked away to talk with the woman in question while Keisuke was left to wonder exactly how the two knew each other.

He watched Aino light up when she noticed Wakagi and smile a mile wide before elbowing him in the arm and smirking mischievously. The sight left him feeling uneasy and suspicious. If she knew the second-in-command to the Commissioner General, who else was she connected to? Was this why Goto had wanted him to back off? And what had made that weapon twist and glow like that?

Keisuke decided he needed answers, now, more than ever. He pulled out the spare flashdrive he kept in the hidden inner pocket of his leather jacket and headed to the desk where some officers were pulling up security footage. He flashed his badge.

"I'd like to get a copy of that if you don't mind."

oOo

"You know, anyone just arriving on the scene would think _you_ were robbing the bank, carrying a bag of your money around like that," Wakagi told her. Minako recognized the tone. It was the same tone Artemis used when he was preparing for a lecture.

"It's not _my_ money!"

Wakagi looked alarmed and then furious as he demanded she keep her voice down. "What if someone heard you?"

"Relaaaaax," Minako giggled, playfully slapping his arm. "It's my friend's. She's been short staffed all week and didn't have a chance to deposit her earnings last night, so I offered to do so for her this morning."

"Well I'm glad that's easily cleared up but you know it'll be a lot harder for me if the press catches wind of you in the middle of a bank robbery."

"It's not like I planned this!"

"That doesn't make cleaning up your messes any easier," Wakagi shrugged, crossing his arms. "Anyways, I'll do what I can and Sakurada will get in touch if anything comes up."

"Aw, you big softie. What would I do without you?" Minako smiled and then gave him a kiss on the cheek, grinning when he grew flustered and then annoyed in response. She walked away before he could lecture her about "personal space" and "harassment", with Mako's deposit bag securely in hand. It was too bad she hadn't been able to deposit the money but she doubted the tellers would be open for business until at least this evening, if not tomorrow, considering they'd just been held up and nearly robbed.

"And here we thought you needed help," a husky voice chuckled as Minako walked out of the building. She turned and spotted two silhouettes emerging from the shadows.

"Haruka, Michiru," Minako greeted. "I didn't think you'd get here so fast."

"We were in the area," Haruka shrugged.

"Oh?"

"I was hoping to encounter your detective friend," Michiru murmured, stroking her mirror, "I had tried to scry him the day before, to get an idea of who we're dealing with, but I was only able to see a silver mist."

"That's odd." Minako turned back towards the bank and squinted, hoping to catch a glimpse of the detective through the windows. Not that it would help much. She couldn't read auras like Rei or Hotaru, so she wouldn't be able to tell if something was shielding him, and although she was deadly accurate when it came to emotions, Mr. Fox emitted about as many emotions as a rock.

"Wait, he's in there now?" demanded Haruka, clueing in from Minako's actions, and looking ready to have a different sort of encounter with the detective. Mainly one that involved her fist.

Minako sighed, giving up, and turned back around.

"He is. He's the reason you girls came all this way for nothing." She smiled, "Thanks for that by the way."

"No problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time I have a little chat with your stalker." Haruka grinned, cracking her knuckles as she strode past Minako.

Michiru was quicker, however, and snagged Haruka's arm before she could take more than a single step. "Patience dear. He's currently surrounded by officers."

"What's that matter?" Haruka scowled, settling back down, "Doesn't Minako have the TCPD in her pocket?"

"Just their boss," Minako corrected.

Haruka threw her a disgruntled look that said 'same thing.'

"In either case," Michiru continued, ignoring their interruptions, "I don't think it would be wise. He's merely doing his job. Confronting him would only add you to his list of suspicious suspects and me, as well, by association." She gave Haruka a stern look. "I do _not_ want to become a suspect, Haruka."

"Well then," Minako smiled, bringing the couple's attention back to her, "I suppose that's my cue to leave before he catches me out here talking to you both. You'll tell me if you learn anything further?"

Michiru nodded her acquiesce while Haruka huffed in the background, still itching for a fight.

Minako thanked them again and departed for Mako's cafe. She made it two blocks and around the corner before letting her shoulders drop in fatigue. Using her powers without transforming always left her feeling a little anemic. Good thing Mako-chan had a dark, raspberry mousse hidden in the back fridge with her name on it! She couldn't wait to eat it up.

And then she would call Rei and ask her to "look" deeper into one Detective Koizumi.


	8. Swimming With The Fishes

_Rei frowned and rested her hands in her lap, her gaze remaining firmly straight ahead. That was not a good sign as far as Minako was concerned._

" _Well?"_

 _Rei pursed her lips but finally shifted to look at her._

" _Something is preventing me from getting a reading, something powerful. I couldn't even catch a glimpse of the detective."_

" _Do you think he's an enemy?"_

" _No…" Rei paused. "Actually, I'd say whatever's blocking him feels almost familiar."_

 _Minako blinked._

" _Familiar? Like Silver Millennium familiar?"_

 _Rei began to shake her head no but then hesitated. "Maybe? I think I'll need to meditate on it a bit more."_

"...can probably do this in one take. We have three drones that will follow you, so all you need to do is run the length of the bridge without stopping, okay? Okay? Minako-chan are you listening?"

Minako jolted to attention at the sound of her name and blushed when she realized the director, his assistant and two cameramen were all staring at her.

"Sorry! I must not have gotten enough sleep last night. I just need to run this way, right?" She pointed in the correct direction and was relieved when the director nodded. The day before must have affected her more than she expected if she was spacing out on the job.

Minako wandered over to her starting point and adjusted the zipper of her jacket a little, making sure it exposed the bright orange sports bra underneath. She waited for the director to say action and then did a few neck stretches and shoulder rolls before slipping into a light jog. How long was she supposed to run for anyways? Rainbow bridge stretched on for some length. Surely the director didn't mean for her to run the entire way?

More importantly, had Rei made any headway on the detective since yesterday? Enemy or no, the last thing they needed were old acquaintances from past lives popping up. They tended to come with baddies looking for trouble.

Her line of vision crested over the pavement allowing her to spot a figure clamoring over the railing up ahead. The figure rose to their full height before spotting her heading their way and raised a shaky finger to point at her.

"Don't come any closer!"

Minako stumbled at the sudden command but did as the stranger demanded and slowed to a walk while raising her hands in front of her.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt whatever you were doing," she called back while cautiously moving forward. She gestured with her thumb to the crew a little ways behind her. "But we're filming an ad and I'm supposed to run the length of the bridge."

The stranger—a man she guessed now that she was a little closer—stared back at her uncomprehending and then jerked his head in the direction of the crew and then to the drones overhead.

"No, no, no!" The man cried, clutching his head while one arm remained looped around the bridge cable. "I can't do it now! They'll never get the money now!"

Minako inched a little closer, taking in the man's threadbare clothes and his gaunt cheeks.

"What money?" she asked innocently.

The man spun in her direction, clearly having forgotten about her in his misery, and nearly lost his balance on the rail. He flung his body closer to the cable and held on tight.

"The money!" He hissed, "The insurance money!" He waved at the drones still flying nearby. "They'll never get the money if I'm filmed jumping!" The man's face twisted and large fat drops began dripping down his face as he howled, "Everything is ruined!"

Minako moved a little closer. She wasn't quite in touching distance yet but if the worst should happen, she'd be able to make a grab for him. A siren went off in the distance, signaling for her to hurry things up.

"Why do you need money so badly?"

"Because!" The man blubbered, voice muffled by his hands covering his face, "My little girl is dying!" His breath hitched as he sucked in enough air to scream some more. "And I can't afford the treatment!"

Minako's lips formed a small pout as she closed the remaining distance between them. The sirens were louder now. She was sure they'd be arriving any second.

"I've got money," she said in quiet but clear voice. She licked her lips. "And if I don't have enough, I have friends who would be happy to contribute. There's no need to do this. What's your daughter's name?"

"Tomoko," The man sniffled, wincing as he swallowed. "Imada, Tomoko...but I can't take your money miss. It's not right."

"Nonsense," Minako grinned, "What's the point of having money if I can't help those who need it?"

Imada-san hiccuped, his bottom lip trembling a little as his eyes began to water anew.

"Oh thank yo—"

A car door slammed shut causing Minako to jump. She turned around in time to see Detective Koizumi getting out of another vehicle, only for him to look her way and then widened his eyes in alarm as he began shouting and rushing towards her.

Minako couldn't hear what he was saying but she could read between the gaps. She spun back around and grabbed for Imada-san but only managed to rip a button from the man's shirt before he plummeted over the railing. There wasn't time to waste. She ran and jumped off the cable, using the momentum to vault over the railing, before kicking off the bridge and diving toward an unconscious Imada-san who had hit his head when he had slipped. Minako thanked her lucky stars for this small blessing considering the police—and most likely her film crew—were watching her every movement. Carefully angling her right hand from sight, Minako tapped into her powers, feeling the warm wave rush through her and settle in her palm, and then directed it towards Imada-san's belt buckle, pulling him towards her. As soon as he was in reach, she grabbed him, covering his head with her hand and then braced for impact, allowing her power to shoot out of her fingers and break through the water just before they hit its surface, softening the blow.

She had just enough time to pray the water wasn't too cold before the frigid temperatures hit her and pulled them under.

oOo

He was going to kill her.

First he was going to make sure she was alive, and then he was going to kill her before she could be the death of him.

If she lived, of course.

Keisuke scanned the waters with laser like focus, his stomach and arms clenched tight as he prayed for ridiculously golden blonde hair to appear. The odds were slim, he knew. Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge was fifty meters high and only the most experienced could dive from that height and survive with minimal damage. His Suicide Watch Prevention class had taught him that, as well as the city's prime location for jumpers. He didn't imagine anyone had bothered to inform a certain foolish, young blonde.

The others began crowding around him, they too searching for Aino and the suicidal man, and in the distance he could see the Coast Guard carefully making their way closer to the submergence point.

A gasp rang through the crowd and several people pointed toward the little island a short distance away where Aino could be seen dragging the man to the shore. Keisuke felt his body relax even as his chest squeezed uncomfortably. He rubbed the spot roughly above his heart and watched as she checked the man for breathing and then fell back on her butt before spotting those gathered along the rails. Aino raised her fingers in a victory salute while sporting a cheeky grin, reminding Keisuke again of his plans to throttle the living daylights out of her.

…

By the time he'd made it to the docks, the Coast Guard had already plucked the two survivors from the island and was just pulling up along the closest dock. He could see Aino along the upper deck, looking ridiculous as she flirted with a crewman, who looked barely legal, while shivering under a large blanket. The man she'd saved was a little farther off, along with another crewman who was holding an oxygen mask to the man's face.

Keisuke waited for the boat to lower its gangway with a degree of patience that was impressive, even to him. That is, until the gangway was locked in place, and then he was onboard and across the deck before Aino could so much as wink at the useless officer.

He flashed his badge to the boy and then hauled Aino to her feet. "Excuse me but I need to have a word with Aino-san." He then dragged her a little ways off where he could be sure they had a degree of privacy before rounding on her.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded. "You could have died."

Aino pouted, pushing her full bottom lip out. Her lips—along with her cheeks—were rosier than usual, most likely due to the low temperature of the water, but Keisuke refused to let this earn any sympathy from him. Maybe next time she'd think about that before diving into an icy bay.

"The Coast Guard Officer said I was brave."

"The Coast Guard Officer would have said you were the Emperor of Japan if you batted your eyes at him long enough."

Aino smiled prettily at that, which only made him angrier. Did she not realize she was lucky to be alive?

"Minako-chan!"

Two men came rushing over to where they stood, a short thin man with a goatee and a sprinkle of grey through his dark hair and a much taller man, with long, pale white hair wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. The latter didn't look particularly worried, content to let the other man fuss over their charge, and instead turned his contemptuous gaze to study Keisuke quite shamelessly.

Keisuke raised a brow at that but chose to ignore him, instead focusing his attention on the shorter man who was still fussing over Aino.

"Still, I'm so sorry Director Miyake. I hope I didn't ruin the shoot. I'm afraid I reacted without thinking."

"Ruin?" Director Miyake gasped, "My dear your rescue was inspirational! We caught everything on camera, even you bursting out of the water like a mermaid or water nymph brought to life. It was _beautiful._ _You_ were beautiful but more importantly are you sure you're okay? That was some dive and I know Tokyo Bay is frigid cold even in the late spring."

"I'm _fine,_ " Aino yawned.

It was that that finally got the other man's attention. He turned to Aino, frowning, and crossed his arms.

"I think it best if we call it a day. You overexerted yourself the day before too, you won't be able to keep up with your schedule at this rate if you don't get some rest."

"I'm fine Artemis."

Artemis rolled his eyes as Aino yawned again and then swung his supercilious gaze back towards Keisuke.

"Is she free to go Detective or do you need her for questioning."

Keisuke frowned, debating. Normally he would allow civilians to go home and rest and then come back to the station for questioning later but Aino had failed to do that the last time he'd requested she dropped by and she tended to give him the slip more often than not. It would be better to take her in for questioning now rather than leave it up to chance.

His phone vibrated at that moment and Keisuke excused himself for a moment to check it, only to see it was a reminder for his rescheduled meeting with Ueda. He didn't think Ueda would be pleased if he had to reschedule again, legitimate reasons or not. Keisuke sighed but indicated they could drop by the station for questioning later.

"Preferably sooner, rather than later," Keisuke suggested, although his tone indicated it was more an order than anything.

Aino smiled sleepily at him and gave a little wave before allowing Artemis and Director Miyake to bustle her off the boat leaving Keisuke standing there and stewing in his own frustrations. He dragged a single hand over his face and then called his fellow officer over for instructions before taking off to meet Ueda.

If he couldn't question Aino, then he damn well wasn't going to miss his chance to speak with his only other lead.


	9. Rumors

Keisuke walked up to a nondescript apartment building on the corner of two minor streets with a 7-Eleven a few blocks down. He knocked on the appropriate door and waited until Ueda answered it shortly after, swinging the door wide open to reveal a mass of reddish blond curls atop a rather disheveled, scrawny looking man.

"Finally!" Ueda huffed, waving him in, "I was beginning to think you'd never show. Some of us do have other things to do you know?"

Keisuke clasped his hands behind his back and stepped into the open floor styled apartment. "I apologize for my tardiness. There was an incident on the Rainbow Bridge."

"Traffic accident?"

"No, jumper."

Ueda pursed his lips. "I suppose you were able to talk him down given that you're here now and not calling to reschedule again." He gestured for the detective to sit on the couch and then took the chair adjacent to him.

"He's alive," Keisuke confirmed, not bothering to go into details. "But I'm not here to talk about him. What can you tell me?"

Ueda nodded and then stood, walking into another room to retrieve something.

"By the way, can I offer you anything to drink?" Ueda asked upon reappearing, holding a thin silver laptop.

"No thank you."

"Well then, let me just…" Ueda took a seat and opened the laptop, typing for a few minutes, and then twisted the screen to face him.

Keisuke adjusted the screen and skimmed over the contents, clicking the cursor now and then and scrolling down until he reached the bottom of the file. When he had finished, he pushed the laptop back towards Ueda and sat back in his seat as he processed the information.

"Has this been cross verified?"

"Several times over." Ueda raised a pointed brow, "The data wasn't difficult to collect. I'm surprised the police haven't noticed a similar pattern yet."

"We knew about the populated locations trend. Terrorists generally tend to target areas with high foot traffic. That pattern grew less consistent though when they began targeting single individuals." Keisuke gestured towards the laptop. "I was unaware however, that there were momentary spikes in radiation levels before each attack."

"Not just radiation," Ueda corrected, "although I think it's safe to attribute those to your "so-called" youma. There's also usually several adjacent spikes in energy levels following that burst of radiation that I've concluded belong to the Sailor Senshi."

Keisuke scoffed. "The Senshi are nothing but an urban legend."

"Oh?" Ueda ran his fingers over the keyboard in rapid succession and then twisted the laptop back towards Keisuke. "What do you call them then?"

Keisuke looked to see five women—all dressed in ridiculously short and colorful skirts—yelling at something just off screen. The camera shook as the videographer crept closer, its lens zooming in on the two nearest; a short, blue haired woman and another one with long golden hair. Keisuke's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Something about the blonde seemed familiar but he wasn't sure what. The video continued for another few seconds until one of the women raised her hands and then the video cut off.

"Well?"

Keisuke eyed the other man staring at him expectantly. "All I saw were a bunch of women running around in colorful costumes."

Ueda threw his hands in the air with a disgruntled groan. "You can't film them when they use their powers! It fries the electrical systems if the youma's radiation hasn't fucked it all up already!" He crossed his arms and shot Keisuke a look of contempt. "There's too many stories, too many eye witness accounts for them to be just dismissed as an urban legend and yet no one has been capable of capturing their images. Surely an intelligent man, such as yourself, isn't ignorant enough to outright ignore the possibility of their existence?"

Keisuke frowned, touching the hidden flash drive in his pocket. The camera feed from the bank had been fried following him sucker punching the first robber to the ground but there hadn't been anything or anyone _supernatural_ there. Sometimes technology just crapped out. Then again...something had twisted the AR-15s' barrel unnaturally.

"I can see you've remembered something," Ueda smirked. He handed him a small flash drive. "I took the liberty of making you a copy of my files. Use them wisely detective."

"Not so fast," Keisuke said, eyeing Ueda suspiciously, "If they can't be caught on camera, how'd you manage that video?"

"Please," Ueda drawled, "I'm a genius. I rigged my camera to withstand the initial bursts of radiation and energy surges in order to catch those few seconds. Didn't last long mind you," he shrugged, "but I think it did the job."

Keisuke nodded, satisfied, and pocketed the flash drive alongside his other one and then stood to leave.

"I'll be sure to give this to our analysts and credit you for the information. It may not be able to prevent anything but it will certainly improve our response time. Thank you."

Ueda waved him off. "Just doing my civic duty and all that."

"Yes, well, I and my fellow officers at the TCPD appreciate it."

Keisuke left Ueda's and headed directly for his precinct, hoping to catch Goto before the day's end.

…

Goto had already left for the day by the time he arrived, so he spent the rest of his day filling out paperwork and reviewing his notes. He was just dropping off a short briefing on Commissioner's desk over what he'd learned at Ueda's when Tsuji Gorou, another detective he partnered with some times, walked over to him.

"A few of us are going out tonight to that new club that just opened. You in?"

Keisuke gave the other man a flat look.

"Why would I want to waste my personal time surrounded by drunken idiots?"

Gorou laughed. "Don't be like that. It'll be fun, I swear! Plus, rumor has it several well known celebrities will be in attendance tonight, including your pretty blonde suspect."

Keisuke shot Gorou another look but eventually agreed to go although given her recent history, he wasn't sure if he hoped Aino would be there or not.

oOo

Minako groaned and rolled over, blindly searching for her phone for a few seconds before dragging it to her line of vision. Her notifications indicated she'd gotten several texts. She yawned and opened her text window.

 _Hey Gurl! Where r u?_

 _Get down x already!_

 _Y's waitin 4 u!_

 _If u don't want him, Ill take him :P_

That's right, she'd promised to make an appearance at that new club. Shoot.

Minako flopped back onto her pillow and checked the time. It was barely nine thirty. She could probably swing it.

She hopped out of bed with more energy then she had to spare and slipped into the bathroom to splash some water on her face and add some mascara and glittery gold eyeshadow to her eyes before donning a new backless black dress she'd been dying to wear. A spritz of perfume and a twist of her hair and she was ready to go.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Minako rolled her eyes and turned to see Artemis entering from the window.

"I promised I'd stop by that club tonight, remember?"

Artemis rolled his eyes and hopped onto her bed.

"And I said you needed rest, remember?"

"I've been sleeping since I got home. Besides," Minako said, striking a pose, "I'm already all brushed up!"

"It's dolled up," Artemis huffed.

"Which I am!" Minako grabbed her phone and slipped it into her purse. "Anyway, got to go. Don't wait up!"

…

"I'll get us some drinks!" her friend Momo yelled over the beats of the DJ. Minako nodded that she understood and moved to find them a table. Although she had promised the owners of _Kismet_ that she'd be attending tonight, it had been much too crowded to reserve them any.

Minako paused in her search to take a quick selfie, flashing her signature V and a cheeky grin. She checked the image, chose a light filter, and then posted it to her Instagram with a _#girlsjustwannahavefun_ tag.

"Hey beautiful," said a voice to her right.

Minako turned to see who had addressed her and noted a muscular man in a tight tee. He had a couple friends behind him who weren't quite as built as him but didn't look like they'd been skipping the gym either.

"Are you looking for a place to sit?" asked the man upon catching her attention. "Because my face has a vacancy."

Minako made a face at the crude pickup line but attempted to turn him down gently.

"Sorry, I don't go home with strangers."

She turned to walk away but a grip on her arm prevented her from getting any further.

"Don't be like that baby," said the man, "Stay and chat with me awhile. Get to know me."

Minako slipped her arm from his grasp and put her hands up in front of her, hoping to placate the jerk. She needed to end the interaction quickly before Momo showed back up and the creep got his hands on her as well but Minako also couldn't afford to make a scene in such a public space.

"I'm sorry but I'm here with a friend. I really have to go."

"And I think you should stay."

The asshole moved to grab her again when another club patron stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"She's not interested bud. Move along."

"Who the fuck are you twiggy? I could snap you in half like," the asshole snapped his fingers and smirked but the other man merely laughed.

"I'd like to see you fucking try."

That was all the incentive muscle head needed as he lunged for the other man but the other man was faster and dodged, sending the idiot running into several patrons nearby and ripping the dress of one woman as he attempted to regain his balance.

The woman screamed, drawing the attention of those around her, including her date who then proceeded to take a swing at the muscle head who dodged and shoved the woman's date into the man he'd originally been fighting, as well as several others. His asshole friends jumped to either side of him causing the first man's buddies to join in and transforming the fight into an all out brawl with the addition of the date, who was quick to jump back into the thick of things punching whoever came within arm's reach, which at one point happened to be Minako.

Minako dodged the punch—and dodged a few more things as well—and scanned over the chaos breaking out in search of her friend. Women were shrieking and running away, one man broke a chair on another man's back, and at least two men were on the ground pummeling others but there was no Momo. Minako ducked behind a corner and scrutinized the mess a little closer. There! Momo had hidden behind the bar while the bartender and bouncer attempted to help break things up.

Minako started to go to her but was again prevented from leaving by a grip on her arm.

"And where do you think you're going,"leered the jerk who started it all, pulling her towards him.

"Let her go," demanded a familiar baritone and Minako was more than a little relieved to see it was the detective of all people.

The jerk dropped her arm and to take a swing at the detective but Detective Koizumi merely leaned back a few inches, avoiding the blow.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Detective Koizumi warned him but this only infuriated the other man more. He took several more swings, all easily dodged with a step here or there until eventually Detective Koizumi just smirked and caught the attacker's fist in one hand before twisting it around and making the other man cry out in pain.

"Attacking an officer is guaranteed jail time, you know." He pulled out his handcuffs from his jacket and cuffed his attacker behind his back before turning steel grey eyes on Minako. "Are you alright Aino-san?"

"I'm fi—watch out!"

Minako yanked the detective towards her, throwing him off balance and out of the way of the jagged end of a broken bottle. His leather jacket wasn't as lucky.

Another man tackled the assailant from behind, disarming him in the process.

"Keisuke you okay?"

"Yeah," Detective Koizumi said, inspecting the large gash in his jacket. He frowned and then threw out a hand to help the other man up. " Thanks for the assist Gorou."

"No problem," Gorou grinned. "Aren't you glad you came out now?"

Minako watched in amusement as the detective leveled his friend with a flat stare while several other officers rounded up brawlers in the background. She should probably see to her own friend since the fight seemed to be calming down.

"Thanks for your help detective," Minako smiled, flushing just the slightest when both men turned to look at her. She raised her brow knowingly and inwardly cheered when both men leaned closer. "Your timing was impeccable as always."

"I wouldn't need to be if you could manage to stay out of trouble," Detective Koizumi smirked, shrugging out of his jacket. He grabbed something out of its pocket and then draped the jacket over her shoulders. "Here. Although it's torn, it'll help. I'm sure you'll be chilly in that dress once the adrenaline runs out."

This time Minako did blush fully but she pulled the large jacket tighter over her shoulders anyways. "Thank you." She hesitated for a moment and then pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight."

Minako fled the scene as quick as her legs could take her.


	10. Evidence Number 1

It was foggy. Ridiculously so. There was little of his surroundings that he could make out, aside for a few columns here and there that would look more at home in ancient Greece than anywhere in Tokyo. Keisuke frowned at the foreign sight but continued to scan his surroundings for anything that could aid him.

" _Serenity!"_

Keisuke turned at the sound of the voice, his hand flying to his sword's hilt—a detail that would require more attention later on. Up ahead he could see two familiar silhouettes, one with a long flowing cape, the other with long, flowing hair. He felt an intense longing for them both, though he didn't know who they were or how he knew them.

He moved closer in hopes of seeing or hearing something that could help his memory but the fog was dense and with every step he took the pair seemed to grow farther away.

"Wait!" he called, panic beginning to set in although he didn't know why. He just knew he needed to catch up and they were leaving him behind.

" _Serenity!"_

A third figure appeared in the distance, smaller than the first two, with hair trailing to the ground. The couple laughed as they chased after this new unknown and Keisuke was now sprinting to keep up with them.

"Wait! Please wait!"

He stumbled, tripping over a rock, and went tumbling into one of those cursed columns while the laughter and the figures slowly faded away.

"Endymion! WAIT!"

Keisuke shot up in bed with his feet tangled in the sheets and a pillow thrown across the floor, sweating like he'd run a marathon. He wiped the sweat from his brow and then bunched the sheets in his hands.

Who the hell was Endymion? Was it the man with the cape?

And if Serenity was that tiny figure...who was the other one, the one with the long flowing hair?

An image, a flash of gold, ran through his mind followed swiftly by a sharp stab between his eyes. Cursing, Keisuke pressed against the spot with two fingers and waited but the pain refused to recede so he kicked off his sheets the rest of the way and then made his way over to his bathroom cabinet. He swallowed a few aspirin dry and then resumed his seat on the bed, waiting until the medicine kicked in before getting ready for the day.

Not that he had anywhere to be.

Normally he'd just spend his day off like any other, and continue working on whatever case he was currently assigned to, but he couldn't work up the motivation today. Probably because the more time he spent chasing Aino, the less likely she seemed like his prime suspect and more like someone with the worst luck he had ever seen. Granted, he had also been involved in those incidents but it came with the job. Add the fact that she had helped save lives at least three times and Keisuke was more inclined to give her a medal instead of putting her in handcuffs.

Keisuke sighed and leaned back until his head hit his pillow, his mind lingering on the handcuffs. Somehow, he didn't think they'd hold her anyways considering how small she had looked in his leather jacket. Her hands would probably slip right through them.

Speaking of leather jackets...last he checked, his had a giant gash in it and it hadn't been along the seam.

"Looks like I'm going shopping today," Keisuke grumbled, sitting up and walking into his bathroom.

oOo

Minako stared at the ceiling, wishing the clock would move just a little faster.

She had been awake for nearly four hours now but not even the anemia she got when she overused her powers while untransformed seemed able to fix her insomnia. It was all the detective's fault. Why couldn't he just compliment her on her dress like every other man? No, instead he had given her his stupidly warm jacket. No man had ever given her his jacket before. It had thrown her off guard.

Minako rolled over and read that the clock said half past six. It would have to do. Maybe if she went through the motions slow enough, the shops would actually be open when she arrived.

She stretched, relishing the burn in her muscles as she accidentally disrupted a grumpy's cat sleep.

"What are you doing?" Artemis griped, covering his face with his paws.

Minako scratched behind his ears earning a pleased purr. "Shhh, go back to bed. I'm just going out for a bit."

Artemis lifted his head, blinking a few times, and then dropped it back on the bed, his whiskers twitching in his sleep.

She giggled and then quietly changed her clothes and brushed her teeth before heading out with the detective's leather jacket over her shoulders.

…

"Now where should I look first?" Minako hummed, tapping her lips with her finger.

Her father aside, she had never shopped for a man before. Usagi had asked her for help once involving a gift for Mamoru but...that boy needed so much help in general that she doubted he counted either. How hard could it be though?

She skimmed over the directory and noted a store that sounded promising down at the other end of the mall, next to a few of her favorite shops. Funny, she had never noticed it before. She tapped her lips again, this time debating over the merits of a quick side trip and then decided they could wait until she got what she came for.

Mentally patting herself on the back, Minako made her way quickly to the other end of the mall, finding the desired store with ease. She stepped in, inhaling the strong leather scent and then walked over to a section that looked similar to the jacket she wore. She selected three styles in the appropriate size, comparing them to the original, and then purchased the closest matching one and had it gift wrapped.

There. Now she wouldn't owe him anything and she could just go back to thinking of him as the creep who thought she was a terrorist.

Except...creeps who thought you were a terrorist usually didn't lend you their jackets.

Minako sighed and took a seat on a free bench outside the shop.

This really had been the most awful week or so ever. First her game was ruined and then a cop was trailing her and then she had to deal with all those criminals! She'd never dealt with so many issues in such a short span even when she'd been Sailor V and had gone looking for trouble.

"What else could go wrong?" she muttered just as her phone started ringing.

Minako dug into her purse and pulled out her cell, noting who was calling before answering it.

"Hey Rei! What's up?"

"Minako, you need to come to the shrine."

Minako frowned, pulling the phone away to double check it was indeed Rei and then put it back to her ear.

"No can do, remember? I've got a silver fox on my tail?"

"Your silver fox can wait," Rei snapped, "You need to come here now."

"What? Why?" Minako demanded, already on her feet and walking back the way she came. "You gotta give me more than that Rei."

"Nephrite's back."

oOo

"WHAT?!"

Keisuke's head snapped in the direction of the shout and was relieved when he saw it was just Aino. He should have guessed he'd be seeing her here given their recent rate of run-ins.

Of course, Keisuke frowned, it wasn't as if they had just been running into each other. If it wasn't eight in the morning on a Tuesday in such a public setting, Keisuke might be suspicious something was about to go down. As it was he couldn't quite shake off the feeling and it was—

As if on cue, the metal shutters slammed down throughout the building, trapping people in and out of the shops and cutting off any natural light while only a few backup lights remained working but even those flickered insistently, threatening to leave them in the dark. A woman screamed and a twisted laugh rang out as shoppers throughout the mall ducked for cover.

"Rei, it'll have to wait," he heard Aino say from behind him, although he had no idea how her phone was still working considering his seemed fried. He stuffed it back in his jacket just as he heard Aino tell whoever she was talking to to get help.

"Aino-san," Keisuke called, beckoning her to his side.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Keisuke couldn't be sure what she was referring to since he was keeping his eyes peeled for anything suspicious, but it wasn't hard to imagine.

"Perhaps I'm wrong but it sounds as if you're accusing me, when we both know you're the trouble magnet."

"Or maybe we're just unlucky when we're together."

Keisuke frowned not liking the sound of that. It brought to mind his dream for some reason but before he could say anything a scream rang out and a silver humanoid figure welding a golf club appeared.

"Up for a little game?" it cackled. "You're just in time, I've just finished warming up."

The being pulled out a golf ball and tossed it in the air, where it stayed, spinning wildly as it slowly grew bigger. It grew to the size of a large beach ball when the humanoid being cackled some more and then whacked it at them with its golf club.

"Get down!"

Aino tackled him to the ground while the ball buried itself into the wall behind them.

"Aw, no fair. You're not supposed to duck." The being pouted, "I guess I still need a little warming up." It threw five balls into the air that grew like the previous one. "This'll do."

The humanoid struck them all at once but Keisuke was already running with Aino hand in hand. He tugged her into a side hallway as the balls went flying past.

"What the hell is that thing?" he huffed, ducking them into another dark hall.

"A youma, obviously."

Keisuke slammed to a halt.

"A y—"

"Shhh!" Aino slapped her hand over his mouth and pressed him against the wall just as the youma went cackling past.

"Come out, come out wherever you are! Don't you want to play a game?"

The youma paused, peering down the hall where they were hidden but it was so dark they went undetected and it moved on.

Aino dropped her hand to his chest but remained close so she could whisper into his ear.

"Look, I know it's not really your thing but believe me that thing out there is a youma and it'll hurt you if it gets the chance. Help will arrive soon so jus—"

A woosh of air cut her off and then the youma was suddenly beside them.

"Found ya!"

It hauled them apart with long claw like fingers and then whisked them away at a dizzying speed to the food court area. The youma twisted a golf club around each of their arms and then slammed Keisuke down in the middle of the court. It then dragged Aino away several meters before twirling them around and staring at him for a moment, hemming and hawing while Aino struggled to get free.

"Well this just won't do," the youma pouted, "It'll be too easy if you can't move. I know!" It chucked Aino into one of the columns that supported the metal beams that supported the roof and pointed to an identical metal beam directly in front of Keisuke. "I'll aim for that instead!"

The youma threw five spinning balls into the air, letting them grow, and then whacked four of them into the two joints, breaking it free. It then struck the last ball, hitting the beam dead center and sending it hurtling towards Keisuke who had just barely regained his bearings.

Keisuke had just enough time to register what was happening before the beam blocked everything from view.


	11. Evidence Number 2

Guys I got excited, so here's the next chapter already! (Only one more to go!)

* * *

Minako groaned against the tiled floor, wishing shopping malls were made more of soft, feathered pillows and less of cold, hard cement. Somewhere nearby, she could hear the youma cheering, followed by a loud thwack. She wriggled her way into a sitting position and then looked up when a second thwack struck something metallic.

"What the…"

She watched another ball strike the joint as the metal beam buckled and dropped her gaze to its rough trajectory where the detective was beginning to stir.

Minako's eyes widened.

"No," she gasped as a fourth ball struck.

"Time to die!" the youma cheered, "But that's just par for the course, of course!"

The youma swung, jolting Minako into action. She didn't hesitate, didn't think. She just shoved her power outward and sent the golf club wrapped around her flying.

The ball struck. The beam went hurtling down and Minako threw all the power she had into it, driving it forward at the last second to land centimeters behind the wide eyed detective.

"Cheater!" The youma shrieked, appearing by her side and yanking her up by her hair. "Cheater, cheater, cheater!"

Something golden flew out, slicing through the youma's hand and forcing her to release Minako who dropped to the floor. The disc flew swiftly back to one of the unbroken metal beams, where a pristine white glove appeared from the shadows to catch it.

"All's fair in love and war!" cried Sailor Moon, stepping out of the shadows and jumping down to the ground level. "Besides, your games stink!"

"Sailor Moon!" Minako cheered, relief flooding through her. Help had arrived!

"Don't forget about me!" Sailor Jupiter shouted, dropping down beside Sailor Moon.

"Or me," whispered Sailor Uranus, who wrapped strong arms around Minako before jumping them to safety.

"Supreme Thunder!"

"No!" cried the youma, swinging its club wildly, "The game's not over yet! No! No! NOOOOOO!"

Lighting crashed down on the youma, shriveling it in the process until only a warped golf club remained.

oOo

Keisuke stared in stunned disbelief, failing to process everything that had just happened. He was alive...but only because something had somehow shoved the giant metal beam away from him. The monster was dead...but only because someone had somehow managed to produce lightning out of thin air. He blinked and a movement caught his eye. He turned and watched as the green senshi, the one who could produce lightning, walked over and prodded what remained of the youma with her boot.

Huh," she mumbled, "That turned out to be a lot weaker than I thought it'd be."

Weak? She considered that _weak?_ That thing had almost killed him!

Keisuke stumbled to his feet despite the golf club still wrapped around him, intent on finding Aino. He needed to get her away from these people who apparently fought monsters much stronger than anything he had ever seen. He spotted her in the arms of a short haired blonde, giggling over something the woman said, and for a moment felt irrationally betrayed. Then he remembered Aino had a history of being found on scenes where youma had been sighted and had probably seen these women in action before.

"Aino-san," he called, interrupting the two and feeling somewhat mollified when Aino turned ecstatic blue eyes his way.

"Detective!"

She took a step towards him and instantly collapsed but the other woman caught her before she could hit the floor.

"Aino-san!"

"She'll be fine," the green senshi cut in, walking towards them. "You on the other hand…"

He felt her grab the metal wrapped around him and jerk him around a little until she had freed him from the contraption.

"Thanks," He nodded, rubbing his arms where the metal had chafed.

The one called Sailor Moon walked over to Aino and waved a—very girly and very pink—wand over her releasing some kind of energy.

"There, that should help some," she whispered and something in the way that she smiled reminded him of his dream, with her long twin tails…long enough to nearly touch the ground... The same sharp pain from earlier that morning throbbed between his eyes, causing him to gasp in surprise.

"You okay?" asked the senshi who was still holding Aino.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd been hurt, too! Here!" Sailor Moon waved her wand in his direction, and Keisuke felt a cool, peaceful energy wash over him, soothing his headache.

Sirens went off in the distance catching all of their attentions and the green senshi indicated that they'd better be going. The short blonde nodded to Aino who had reawakened and blinked blankly back at them.

"What about her?"

"I'm sure she has people waiting on her back home," the green senshi said, sounding oddly vague, before jumping back into the rafters.

The other woman shrugged and then pressed Aino into his arms.

"See to it that she gets home in one piece, yeah?"

She too jumped up to where they had come from followed shortly by Sailor Moon who giggled and winked at him before joining the others.

Keisuke blinked and then looked at Aino who was grinning at him, sleepily.

"Hi," she whispered, dropping her head onto his shoulder.

Keisuke huffed, torn between amusement and exasperation, and decided for once he didn't feel like following police procedure. He placed her on a nearby table and then helped her onto his back before taking them out through an exit door that was no longer barred now that the youma had been dispatched. Once outside he could see the lights flashing near the front entrance, so he opted to take the back alleys in order to avoid suspicion.

"I bought you a new leather jacket you know," Minako mumbled when they had gotten a few blocks away. "Looked almost identical to the last one too."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Mmmm, sure did," she yawned. "It got ripped because you were distracted helping me out with that filthy sleazebag."

"True," Keisuke smirked, "And we both know you could have taken him out on your own."

He felt a playful nudge on his shoulder and couldn't help but smile.

"You don't really have to take me home you know. You could just send me off in a taxi."

Keisuke shrugged, adjusting his grip on her legs.

"I promised to see you home safely and honestly, with our luck, I'd rather not chance moving vehicles just yet."

"So you admit that together we have bad luck."

"I admit nothing of the sort."

Minako snickered into his shoulder.

oOo

They traveled in silence for a few minutes. Keisuke's steady breathing lulling her into a peaceful state. It was strangely quiet otherwise. Taking the back alleys as they were, there was no one around and the sounds of the city could only be heard at a distance.

She studied the clouds, blanketing the sky, and hummed to herself.

"I wonder if it'll rain?"

"It might," The detective murmured, his pace increasing ever so slightly. "The forecast said there was a seventy percent chance."

Minako felt a drop hit her cheek and leaned back in surprise, until another drop hit and then another and another.

"Shit," the detective cursed, jogging now to find them some cover through the sudden onslaught of rain. Minako spotted a parking garage and directed him towards it and they managed to slip under its protection just as a loud crack shook the sky and the rain turned into a heavy downpour.

The detective lowered her to the ground and the two of them stared out at the storm with equally disgruntled faces.

"Well damn," Minako huffed. She caught the detective's eye who was clearly struggling to suppress a smile which meant it was impossible to stop her own. The two burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs, and it was a good ten minutes before either of them could look at the other without falling into another round of mirth.

"Okay but seriously," Minako chuckled after they had calmed down, "Why does the universe hate us?"

Detective Koizumi shrugged, leaning on a rail to stare out at the rain.

"Maybe the world hates perfection?"

"Oh my goooood," Minako groaned, joining him at the rail and bumping into his shoulder with her own. "How can you say something so absurd with such a straight face?"

The detective smirked and suddenly Minako felt warm despite the slight chill. She turned away with a blush, entirely conscious of the feel of his eyes on her. Would it be terrible if he knew the truth? It wasn't as if no one else knew. There were at least...four, no five civilians that she could name off the top of her head, three of which she'd talked to within the last few days.

Artemis would lecture her though.

"Aino-san?"

"Minako," she corrected absently, feeling the detective go tense beside her. She turned and smiled at him. "I mean we survived a youma attack together after all. I'd say that puts us on a first name basis, don't you?"

The detective smiled back and Minako was surprised to see he had a dimple. How had she missed that before?

"Minako, then," he murmured, his eyes dancing, and Minako knew she was in trouble. She nudged him with her shoulder to distract herself.

"Keisuke Koizumi, at your service ma'am."

Minako grinned, "Pleasure to meet you Keisuke."

"Likewise, Minako."

Oh he was entirely too handsome and his face was so close. Minako turned away to catch her breath, just as a plain white van was pulling up at the other end of the garage grabbing both of their attentions.

"That's odd," Keisuke murmured, watching it go up to the next level. "All the buildings looked abandoned when we were walking outside…"

A second vehicle pulled into the garage, this one an old black sedan with tinted windows, and it too continued onto the next level even though the first floor was entirely empty.

oOo

Keisuke pulled out his phone to call for back up, remembering too late that his phone had been fried from the youma radiation earlier. He cursed, pocketing the damaged phone back into his jacket, before remembering that Minako's had somehow continued working.

"Mina—Minako!" He hissed, shocked to see his companion sneaking up the nearby staircase. "What are you doing?"

She had the audacity to press her finger to her lips and then continued up the stairs. Keisuke was quick to follow, prepared to drag her away if necessary, and found her on the sixth floor, face pressed against the slender glass pane.

"I think a drug deal is going down," she whispered when he was in range. He peeked through the glass above Minako in time to see two men exchange something—most likely money—while another man was loading something out of the van and into the black sedan.

"You shouldn't be here," he muttered, eyes still glued to the crime they were witnessing until something hard struck the back of his head and everything turned black.


	12. Alibi

_Venus cursed as another branch slapped her in the face and several more scraped against her thighs. That was it! She was going to put an end to these trips if it was the last thing she did! She didn't care how much Serenity cried and begged. No man was worth this aggravation._

 _She shoved a few more branches aside, allowing her to see the long, golden trailing tails of her princess some several feet away._

" _Found you!"_

 _Venus grabbed one of Serenity's tails before she could slip away but she was so focused on her target, she failed to see the two men standing nearby as her princess cried out her typical excuses._

" _It must be hard having a bundle of curiosity for a princess."_

 _Startled by the deep voice, Venus spun automatically, locking eyes with a tall, handsome man. She felt her breath catch as he chuckled, his silver eyes dancing with amusement despite how annoyed his prince appeared to be._

" _Kunzite!"_

Minako jolted awake in a small and bare windowless room, with her arms tied behind her back and her head throbbing from abuse. The last thing she remembered was watching that drug deal going down with the detective…Minako's eyes widened.

The detective!

She twisted around and was relieved to see his figure across the room with his silver hair spilling out across his face. A face that, now that she was thinking of it, looked oddly familiar with its sharp cheekbones, full lips and regal nose. Hadn't she just been dreaming of that face? The man could be Kunzite's twin! Why hadn't she ever noticed it before?

Keisuke (aka maybe-Kunzite-maybe-not-Kunzite) groaned, reminding Minako of the situation they were in. They needed to get out of there, fast, before any yakuza returned, wherever "there" was. She twisted her arms slightly and then wriggled her bindings around her legs until her hands were back in front of her.

"I've got a knife in the lining of my jacket," Keisuke muttered, his eyes pressed tight with his head resting against the cement floor.

Minako hoped he didn't have a concussion.

She scooted across the floor until she was close enough to search and ran her hands along the inside of his jacket until she felt a small bulge. Quickly locating a zipper, she extracted the knife, extended the blade and set to work on cutting through Keisuke's bindings. Once he was free, he took the blade from her and made quick work of her own, the whole process taking them a matter of minutes.

She checked the door and pouted when she found it locked. Couldn't anything be easy?

Minako nibbled her bottom lip as she weighed her options. She could make quick work of the lock by using her power but even with Sailor Moon's help she was still exhausted from earlier. She'd have to transform unless she wanted to faint immediately right after which was _not_ an option.

oOo

"You wouldn't happen to know how to pick locks would you?"

Keisuke opened his eyes to stare at Minako who was looking at him with a mixture of hope clearly laced with doubt. He raised a single eyebrow.

"I'm afraid I don't make a habit of learning criminal activities."

"Damn."

Minako snapped her fingers but didn't appear to be particularly affected by this news despite the way she was incessantly tapping her thigh. She stopped and looked at him again, this time with such a serious expression that Keisuke feared she was about to tell him she murdered somebody.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Keisuke blinked slowly.

Had she really murdered someone?

"Does this secret entail breaking the law in some way?"

"What? No!" Minako paused, "Well, maybe."

While that didn't sound promising, it also didn't sound like murder, so at the very least she appeared innocent of that.

"Tell me your secret."

Minako hesitated.

"You promise you won't tell?"

Keisuke just stared at her, which must have been enough because soon she was muttering about impatient jerks as she shoved her hand in her pocket, grabbing something, and then thrust it high in the air.

What followed was the most unbelievable thing he had ever seen, which was saying something considering he'd just witnessed someone create lightning from thin air earlier that day. First Minako lit up like a freaking torch and then her clothes melted away only to be replaced with a leotard, a short skirt and flowing ribbons. She looked like the senshi from the video he'd seen at Ueda's.

"You're one of them."

It certainly explained her interactions with the senshi at the mall.

"Why?"

Minako blinked and tilted her head to the side.

"What do you mean why? Why am I a senshi?"

He nodded and her brows scrunched like she had never been asked such a thing before. Maybe she hadn't.

"Well," she said eventually, "To cut a long story short, I was born this way."

Born with the ability to transform into matching outfits with several other girls? There had to be a lot more she was leaving out but he could get answers later. He nodded towards the door.

"Are you going to fry the handle?"

"I was thinking something a little more subtle," Minako winked, stepping up to the door and placing a hand on the door knob. It took on a golden glow, eerily similar to the beam that had almost smashed him and now that he was thinking of it, it was also similar to the gun from the bank that had twisted abnormally before the robber had tossed it aside. The knob however, appeared entirely unaltered when Minako pulled her hand away, but the easy way she opened it proved she had done something.

Keisuke inspected it closer but saw nothing to indicate it had been tampered with. "I don't understand, what did you do?"

"I can manipulate metal," Minako shrugged. "I unlocked the door."

"Wait, does that mean earlier it was you who saved me?"

Minako nodded. "I did. It was why I'd collapsed. Using my powers without transforming makes me anemic."

"Ah," Keisuke nodded, now understanding their past interactions and why she had currently chosen to transform. "So what do I call you when you're," he gestured to her uniform.

"The Senshi of Love and Beauty, Sailor Venus!" Venus quietly exclaimed, striking a pose with her fingers in a victory sign.

She dropped her pose and winked, "But you can just call me Venus."

Venus, the roman equivalent of Aphrodite. Keisuke couldn't help but smirk at the apt title. It was fitting, even if he wasn't sure how metal related to love and beauty. However, again, those questions could be answered later, they had wasted enough time as it was.

"Venus it is then." He gestured towards the door, "We should get out of here before anyone comes looking for us."

"Agreed. Let me just peak around the corner to see if the way is clear."

Keisuke frowned, not liking letting a civilian take lead in what could be a dangerous situation but, as he watched her pull out a compact and bend it to see around the corner, he realized she wasn't exactly a civilian. Her actions were precise and controlled but fluid. This was something she had done many times before.

And it was familiar. So, so familiar. He couldn't remember when but he knew he had seen her like this before. Searching for something, for someone. They had been outside and she had been alone until he'd found her sneaking through the bushes.

Endymion had asked him to distract her. He'd wanted more tim—

"Hey!"

A hand on his shoulder snapped him out of whatever daydream he'd been having and his cheeks grew warm when he realized Venus was staring at him with concern.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, her bright blue eyes drilling into his. Blues eyes that he knew he had stared into a hundred times before.

Keisuke's gaze dropped to her lips, lips that he had dreamed about, and he had already begun to lean in when he caught himself. He straightened abruptly, pulling away.

"I'm fine," he said after a moment, although Venus hardly looked like she believed him. "We need to get out of here."

Thankfully Venus couldn't argue with that, so instead she nodded and slipped her hand into his, pulling him down the hall and into a large warehouse type room with rows and rows of miscellaneous objects on industrialized shelves. He could hardly believe that any idiot would have the nerve to have an entire warehouse of illegal goods but at this point he wasn't about to rule anything out. He just hoped he could get a squad back here in time before they could move the goods somewhere else.

They made their way through the rows of shelves quickly until he spotted a loading dock a few rows in. The dock itself would create too much noise upon opening, and would likely attract attention, but there was a side door that they could quietly escape from. Venus worked her magic over the lock again before powering down to her civilian self.

"Just in case anyone thinks to put me and me together," she explained. "If they see you escaping with Sailor Venus, without me, they might figure out my identity."

Her reasoning was sound—even though Keisuke doubted the intelligence of the average criminal—but her timing turned out to be rather poor.

"Hey!" came a shout behind them, "Get away from there!"

Minako yanked the door open, shoving him behind it just as a cascade of bullets came raining down on them. The metal door thunked loudly several times as the bullets embedded themselves into it while Minako muttered beside him that they had ended up on the wrong side to escape.

A few seconds later the shower of bullets ceased and shouts could be heard in the distance. Keisuke knew it was only a matter of time before more men showed up. He grabbed Minako's hand and yanked her across the aisle, weaving his way in and out between the shelves in an attempt to lose whoever may be following them. They ended up in a dark corner, where little could be seen through the shelves, filled as they were with boxes labeled something in a foreign language he couldn't understand.

He felt Minako tug on his hand and turned, only to see that she was already halfway up the shelf. Keisuke frowned, but the sound of footsteps drawing closer spurred him to follow, his body rolling out of sight—and on top of Minako—just as two men rounded the corner.

oOo

Minako stiffened when she heard the men curse below, praying that they hadn't left some kind of trace behind. The men whispered heatedley to one another and then took off down another aisle, their footsteps echoing away from where she and Keisuke were hidden.

She allowed herself to relax marginally and then turned her attention to the man lying on top of her. He was watching the men retreat, having a better vantage point than her, and the serious expression he wore was so identical to the man she'd known before that Minako knew without a doubt that he was Kunzite reincarnated.

She just wasn't sure how she felt about that.

And then Kun—no, not Kunzite, Keisuke—Keisuke turned his silver eyes on her, his expression one of anxious concern, and Minako realized she didn't care. So what if he'd been Kunzite in a past life? Kunzite had been a good man before he'd been twisted by Beryl and Metallia and Keisuke had proven to be just as good. She wouldn't let the likes of Beryl and an incarnate of chaos influence her.

"Are you okay?" Keisuke whispered, his breath tickling her cheek and Minako had to tear her gaze away to prevent herself from doing anything stupid.

She swallowed and nodded, hoping he couldn't see the blush on her cheeks.

"I think the coast is clear for now." She listened closer for any sign of a yakuza. "We should get going before they come back."

Keisuke murmured his agreement, his low tones sending shivers through her, and then carefully rolled to one side before climbing down the shelves. Minako gave herself a moment to regain her composure and then followed quickly after.

oOo

"Do you think you can use your powers again without transforming?" Keisuke asked Minako as soon as she had both feet on the floor.

Minako turned to him curiously and then nodded slowly as she thought about it. "I think I could. Sailor Moon revitalized me earlier but I just didn't want to chance it without knowing the layout of the building. Why, do you have a plan?"

Keisuke nodded. "A simple enough one really. Let's get as close as we can to the door and then you can make sure it's unlocked before knocking over one of these metal shelves as a distraction."

"I like it," Minako smiled, her eyes sparkling playfully, "But I'm afraid I might not be quick on my feet after that. I might even need some big, strong man to carry me."

Keisuke smirked.

"I'm not just a pretty face you know."

Minako rolled her eyes but remained smiling until they began putting their plan into motion and then they were both serious, eyes and ears trained for anyone coming their way. They made it through the first few rows easily but had to pause when moving down an aisle until a man standing guard wandered over to another area. In the end, it only took them a handful of minutes but every second felt like twenty times longer.

"Get on my back," he ordered when they had arrived at the closest point to the loading docks.

Minako did as instructed and then stretched an arm out in front of her in the direction of the door. Keisuke could see both the door and her hand glow temporarily before Minako shifted and directed her power toward the back corner of the warehouse. He couldn't see the results but he could certainly hear the crashing of shelves and other items followed shortly by a stampede of footsteps running in that direction.

Keisuke waited until Minako squeezed his shoulder and then took off running towards the dock door while a weakened Minako clung to his shoulders. He threw the door open and then raced down the alley and around a corner straight into a line of gunmen aiming their weapons in his direction.

"NO!"

Keisuke wasn't sure who shouted first but both he and Minako threw their hands out—Minako probably to stop the bullets coming at them, him to...well he didn't know what—only for a dark portal to open up, engulfing the bullets, close and then reappear directly behind the yakuza, releasing the bullets and letting them strike the yakuza down.

"Nephrite!" snapped a voice behind them that made the hair on his neck stand on end.

Keisuke had barely begun to turn in search of the voice's owner when two men walked past him, inspecting the fallen criminals.

"What?" asked the taller man, presumably Nephrite, as he nudged a man with his boot. He was wearing some kind of uniform with a long brown cape to match his wild hair and Keisuke couldn't stop staring knowing that he'd seen that uniform before. "They're alive."

The second man, this one decked out in black armor, murmured something and then bent and placed his hands over one of the injured men's eyes. A warm soft glow emitted from his palm, wrapping around the fallen man and Keisuke gasped in recognition.

He knew this man!

All at once a sharp pain began stabbing between his eyes and he crumpled to the ground as he struggled to fight it. He could hear Minako by his side, calling his name, but his vision was blurred and all he could focus on was the pain...and then there was warmth, glorious beautiful warmth and his body relaxed and his mind raced as memories upon memories came rushing back to him.

His first time on a horse...winning the tournament...taking his oath...training with his brothers...and of course countless hours with his liege, Endymion...and then there was Venus and Serenity and all of the Senshi and he was no longer confused, he was just amazed at how he could have ever forgotten them.

Keisuke opened his eyes to see Endymion's deep blues ones staring back at him, hope warring with fear in his gaze.

Well that just wouldn't do.

Keisuke smirked and then pulled the other man into a hug that sent them both laughing with exhilaration only for Nephrite to dogpile on top of them, sending them to the ground. They were still missing two of their brothers but they were alive and whole and they had found each other and how had he ever forgotten them?

"I'm going to take Minako home," interrupted a cool, sophisticated voice, prompting the men to look up at the dark haired woman supporting Minako with one arm. "You three can join us when you're done catching up."

Endymion nodded as Minako gave a tired little wave and Keisuke started to stand and then paused, staring after them as they walked away. It could wait. He would see her again, and soon from the sounds of it.

"Man you are _relentless_! Just how long do you plan to pursue her?" Nephrite groaned as he dropped his head onto the ground narrowly avoiding a questionable puddle.

Keisuke frowned, suddenly realizing that perhaps the ground of an alleyway was not the best place for their reunion.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he picked himself off the ground and then offered a hand to Endymion who smiled and took it gratefully.

"You've been chasing Venus' for over a thousand years!" Nephrite exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Give it a rest already!"

Keisuke blinked, looking to Endymion who was still smiling, albeit a bit more amused now. He glanced back over his shoulder, just in time to see Minako and Sailor Mars vanish around the corner, and smirked.

"Why? Things are just starting to get good."

* * *

Did I have that reference to the title planned the entire time? No, but it was pretty soon after. This story started off with just shenanigans in mind but I soon realized I couldn't just let Minako walk all over Kunzite. That would make him incompetent and Kunzite is never incompetent. I also never originally intended for Keisuke to regain his memories or for the boys to unite but once I decided to write an outline showing Kunzite as capable, the rest followed suit and just honestly felt right. I'm considering making a sequel to this or at least, one shots of the other ShitennouxSenshi. Let me know what you think! It might be a few months though. I'm turning 30 this week (gasp!) and will be busy with parents for a spell, and then the holidays are upon us which always takes up a lot of my mental abilities.

So until next time!  
Love,

B


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